Report #5 Day at Sea Enroute to Hawaii October 30, 2019 Wednesday Cloudy & 66 degrees Part #1 Of 1 No Pictures

Despite our wishful thinking, it was not powerful enough to produce sunny skies today.  In fact, the entire day, for the most part, was overcast and dreary.  At least it was not too cold, since the further south we go, the warmer it has gotten.  There was a hint of humidity as well.  And everyone agreed that in a few days or so, we might start complaining about the warm and sticky heat. 

 

Lectures, shop sales, games, and eating kept the passengers busy.  Noticing that the seas had calmed down somewhat, we took a nice long walk after breakfast.  So far, the only sea life we have spotted were two birds, who must be tagging along with the ship.  We doubt there are any islands in the area we are sailing.

 

There was also a message informing all of us that a contracted service staff is onboard to inspect and certify the elevators.  At times, some of the elevators will be out of service temporarily.  This is a first for us, but good to know they are maintained properly on occasion. 

 

Relaxing on our deck after lunch, we discovered we had nice new blankets provided for our use while here.  Instead of the smaller wool plaid blankets, these are more like a thin flannel/fleece comforter.  Very useful. And of course, if we chose to purchase them, the cost would be around $35.  A funny thing happened while we were enjoying the breeze.  It appeared that the power went off, and the ship came to a stop.  The Captain announced to all not to panic, since they should be able to resume operations shortly.  Now we had trouble understanding his entire message with the echo on the outdoor speakers.  So assuming this was a planned test of some kind, we thought nothing of it.  In fact we had no clue the power went off, putting some folks in total darkness.  After a short time, the power did come back, and the Captain said he would explain this tomorrow.

 

More and more folks have discovered that breakfast and lunch in the dining room is quite civilized, because we would guess that it is fuller than on the grand cruise.  Of course, we understand that the ship is full with over 1200 guests.  The service was a bit slower than usual, but that is to be expected in the beginning.  Once a pattern develops, the managers will be better prepared to distribute their wait staff where it is most needed.  For us on sea days, there is no pressure to rush anything, especially a fine meal.

 

Later in the afternoon, we finally had a chance to stroll deck eight.  After checking out the Lido, which looked properly stocked with many popular stations, we went to see if the spa manager, Rene, was here.  Yep, there she was, like she never left.  Always a pleasure to chat with her and catch up on ship news.  (Greg and Heo…..Rene sends her "hello" to you.)

 

Around 4:30pm, we went to the Ocean Bar and took our favorite seats, which happened to be behind the backdrop curtain for the photography session.  Since this evening was the first gala night, we wanted to see how dressed or not, the passengers were.  Much to our surprise, most everyone dressed for the occasion, that is……sports coats, suits, and tuxes for the fellows, and sparkly dresses and suitable outfits for the gals.  Nice to see this tradition has not bit the dust yet.

 

Sometime this afternoon, we had been delivered an invitation to an Exclusive Welcome Reception for the 10 President's Club Members that are onboard with  the Captain, hotel director, Henk, and cruise director, Justin, along with other staff officers.  Well this was a surprise, since we surely did not expect any events for such a small group on this cruise.  It was held at the Crystal Terrace at 6:30pm, and we knew just about everyone there, with the exception of the Captain and some of his officers. All of us were offered drinks of our choice, and presented with various tempting fancy canapes.  Lucky for us, friends Howard, Gyl, the Captain, Henk, and the food and beverage manager joined us at a high top table.  We thanked Captain Jeroen for getting the ship running again, but refrained from asking much more.  He sort of indicated that what happened was a bit of a mystery at the moment.  By 7:15pm, the staff officers had to go to the Mainstage for the Captain's welcome toast.

 

Henk, the hotel director, informed us that he would join us for dinner this evening, which was nice.  He usually does this at our table for eight, but tonight, we had him one-on-one.  We chatted about a million things for over 2 hours, until we noticed that the upper dining room had almost emptied out.  The entrees were all appealing, but we ended up with one surf and turf (tenderloin steak and shrimp), and one ricotta stuffed pasta shells.  Totally delicious.  Dessert was a shared lemon meringue cheesecake.  Every dish tonight appeared to look different from anything we have seen served here.  And to the better so far.  It turned out to be a fine evening.  We even had time to duck into the show lounge to watch the On Tour performance by the singers and dancers.  There were many more people attending this second show, since it began at 9:30pm….not 10pm.  Perhaps these new times will remain this way on the grand voyage.

 

Back in our room, we found a note to turn the clocks back one hour.  Perfect……….we need the extra sleep.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

Report #4 Day at Sea October 29,2019 Tuesday Enroute To Hawaii Sunny and 65 degrees

The first full day at sea was a nice one.  The weather was pleasant, although not too warm yet.  The seas have been mostly smooth with occasional rolling, which we normally do not notice.  Located five decks above our usual room, the motion of the ocean is much more pronounced.  It does contribute to sleeping well, like being rocked in a cradle.

Breakfast was at table 179 in the lower dining room.  It had been promised to us when we left the ship in June, following the tradition of the last several years.  We were joined by two other couples that also shared these tables in this section during the 2019 world cruise.  Nice to have familiar company and the service of a most popular waiter, Gan and his assistant.

Of course, we headed for the lower promenade deck for a morning walk.  It did not last too long because it was quite chilly on the starboard side.  At 10am, there was a Cruise Critic meeting in the Crow's Nest.  Surprisingly, there was a pretty big crowd there today, which rivaled the size of the world voyage.  The rules began with the announcement that this meeting would not be consumed with the private shared excursions.  They could meet elsewhere for those.  And we might add that no staff members or officers attended that we could see.  They have long since adhered to that, with a few exceptions, mostly due to the fact that are too many groups these days.  Cookies, coffee, and juices were still provided.  We stayed a short time, because we had more jobs to do.

One of those jobs was to straighten out our shipboard account, which was not accessible on our computer.  Somehow the information had been switched with our names.  At the front desk, a new fellow attempted to help us, but when Cynthia came over, we were most happy to have her take charge.  Now we are able to track our account again.  The most important thing was that all of our credits had been posted correctly.  And one nicer thing is that the tips have been included this time, due to a short-time promotion offered months ago. 

Shipboard activities began in earnest today, with the highlights aimed at everything Hawaiian, naturally.  Lei making, hula dancing, and ukulele lessons were on the program.  By the way, the format has changed for the When & Where pamphlet.  A tri-fold paper, it has a detailed itinerary of the day, with no ads.  Dining and service hours are posted on the back, with a few ads back there as well.  A separate narrow sheet is included with the ads of the day.  Simplified and less paper, which seems to be the direction HAL is headed in the way of conservation.

Another 2 week planner pamphlet had daily entertainment in the Mainstage….yes, there still are shows happening here at 7:30 and 9:30pm. An interesting message was included saying that only one companion seat could be reserved before the show commenced. Another hint was that the early diners attend the late show, while the late eaters go early. Also the gala evenings (only four on this cruise) are marked on this calendar.  The backside had four of the top officers onboard which is the Captain, Jeroen Schuchmann, the Hotel Director, Henk Mensink, the Chief Engineer, Pieter Jacob Engels, and the Cruise Director, Justin Ross Southard.  The specialty restaurants are advertised, and we heard that the prices may have gone up.  Will check that out.

After catching up on computer work, we went to lunch in the dining room.  After all, they were serving meatballs and spaghetti, a favorite dish for one of us.  It was salads, one with skewered lamb, and one plain.  We noticed regular and raw sugar in bottles now, along with the packets of non-sugar sweeteners.  Saving on paper again.  And there were no vases of flowers on the tables, although that might be reserved for the grand voyages.  In the evening, the little lamps are the decorations now.

During the first happy hour at 4pm, we took over the large chairs on the railing, and listened to the new band that joined yesterday.  They were good, and drew a crowd.  Also gave us a chance to meet up with more friends that have begun their long journey, combining three or more cruises, which will end in mid-May.  And for those that would like to know, there was also another happy hour at 6:30pm.  Not sure if the second drink was still $2, as it appears that all of the beverages have gone up a bit in price.

We had to wait until 6pm to pay a visit to the internet guru.  There was a glitch with something, preventing signing in.  It had something to do with being here this year on the grand cruise, and their system said someone else had our exact email address.  Well yes, that was us. This has occurred before, but they are always capable of figuring it out.   In the meantime, it gave one of us time to search out a few books to read from the library.  No need to check any of them out, because there is no librarian that we could see.

Passing by the Pinnacle Grill, we encountered the manager, who is not Tina.  She will be returning in January we were told.  Anyway, we will need to come here to make our 10 reservations before the available dates are filled.  She said there will be Sel De Mer, sommelier, and various specialty dinners taking place, so we will need to go in between those.   Can't wait for the clothesline bacon!  So good…….

Dinner time came right after we enjoyed watching an excellent sunset from the veranda.  We do hope it is the beginning of many more to come.  The entrees we ordered were prime rib and halibut.  Both were delicious and portioned conservatively.  We were raised with "clean your plate" syndrome, so less is better in our case.  We did share a fruit sundae for dessert.  Our table for two is nice, because we are finished in an hour or so.  Among the several visitors to our table was Philip, who informed us that Presti will be coming back to the Amsterdam as the dining room manager for the world cruise.   What great news.  Ronald has returned to his favorite job as manager of the Lido. 

The show in the Mainstage was guitarist Louie Shelton, but we passed.  We would have an hour to stroll around, and figured hitting the hay earlier would be a better idea.  Back in the room, we discovered we had been given one very useful HAL tote with a new design and waterproof fabric.  On this year's world cruise, there were no totes gifted, at least where we lived.  And the first of the towel animals appeared on the bed.  Although we do like them, we wrote our room steward a note that he can pass on making them for us, freeing up some of his precious time.

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report #3 Boarding Day - San Diego October 28, 2019 Monday Sunny & 75 degrees 56 Pictures Part #1 Of 1

Sometimes the anticipation of a very busy day ahead causes problems with sleeping.  That was the case last night, as both of us did not sleep as soundly as we should have.  However, the buffet breakfast provided at the Hampton Inn was more than sufficient to get us going at 9am.  The dining area was far less crowded today, as all of the Disney folks had left yesterday.  Today, the crowd was looking more like the HAL variety with far fewer kids. 

The best thing was that the weather had improved, the sun was out, and it was promising to be a fine day to be outside.  So we headed out for a short walk to the pier, where the Amsterdam had docked sometime very early this morning. Which was probably about the time we finally fell asleep.  At the entrance to the terminal, we inquired as to when  we could check in, and we were told by 10:30am give or take a few minutes.  The ship may not be ready to allow the incoming passengers to board until somewhat later, but we were assured we could wait comfortably in the terminal until that time came.

As we were strolling the waterfront, we ran into friends Denise and Howie, doing much the same as we were.  Always great to see them, we shared news about home with the power outages, fires, and extreme winds.  They confirmed what a mess we had all left.  At least the fires were doused, the winds were subsiding, and the power would surely come back soon.  No homes had burned in our area, thank goodness.  Another wind event was predicted for Tuesday, but hopefully not as intense.  All of our lives have been dealing with mostly earthquakes, so these conditions that have happened recently are pretty new to us.  Bottom line:  Mother Nature has a mind of her own.

Back in our room, we packed our luggage, and headed slowly back down to the pier.  Yes, we could have gotten a complimentary shuttle from the hotel, but they did not leave until after 11am.  The route they would have taken went to the airport first, then back to the pier.  So we figured by the time we did the round trip ride, we could have walked there in a quarter of the time.  Worked just fine, since we only had three suitcases and hand carries. 

At the gate entrance, we were directed to pull our luggage to the parking lot, where porters collected them.   Glad to be free of those, the next time we will see them will be in our room.  The xray check had a long line, but arriving this early, we had plenty of time.  The ship was scheduled to leave at 11pm, giving ample time to enjoy the day in the city again.  As expected, the new leg brace set off the beeper, but with a quick wand and pat down, I was free to go.   Next were the two lines for check-in.  One was for 4 & 5 star Mariners, and the other was for the remainder of the guests.  With this cruise not a Grand voyage, there was no line for suites and President Club members.  Since the 4 & 5 star line was longer than the regular line, it was suggested by the shore team to go with the shorter regular line, which we did.  Mistake, since the priority line was taken ahead of us.  Oh well, live and learn.  And we still had plenty of time, we kept reminding ourselves.   The check-in process was swift, and they did have the updated info with the room change. 

The size of the crowd had grown significantly by now, so we were seated in the front row for the supervisor to escort us and another President Club couple onto the ship.  That happened in about ½ hour, getting us boarded by 11:30am.  From there, it was like a homecoming.  Our first greeter was Philip, the chief of the dining operations, and a good buddy.  He even double-checked to make sure our new room assignments were complete, before we all headed up in the elevator.  Good to go, we locate our room on deck six, which will be enjoyed for the next 7 weeks.  In the past, we have done a few world cruises in this type of room, but we did notice that the layout is different from the outside cabins.  Noticeably narrower, we remembered that the actual size of the veranda room seems slightly more compact that the outside category.  The desk is longer with more drawers, but the shower-only bathroom is smaller as well.  Very nicely remodeled however, with glass door shower, new sink and counter with a three-tiered glass shelf, and a shelf under the sink.  The space for toiletries seems to be ample enough.  Missing is the extra-large closet that is near the desk in the outside cabins.  Since we brought far less stuff for this trip, we still have ample space to stash it all.  We were happy campers to find two trays of fresh fruit and chocolates left on the coffee table, as well as a bottle of champagne on ice, and two bottles of alcohol, compliments of Orlando Ashford and the Mariner Society. 

We had an invite to the Crow's Nest for a 45 minute 4 & 5 star Mariner reception at 1pm, but we decided to pass on it.  Too early to indulge with champagne for us, we would save that for later in our room.

The luggage had not arrived yet, as it all had to go through security xray.   Already, we had noticed that some folks had gotten messages in their mail slots to go to the front desk since prohibited items had been found in their luggage.   In fact, we even received a note in our room with that same general message.  This was a first.  Other messages were that we would receive an English language newspaper daily, and the bad news was that the dry cleaning facilities were out of service for the duration of this cruise.  Thank goodness, the regular laundry service was still intact. 

With nothing more we could do to organize the room, we took off to enjoy a walk and lunch in town.  The weather was just too nice to stay on the ship.  Muster was scheduled for 4:15pm, giving us about 4 hours to explore.  So we headed for The Cheesecake Factory near Seaport Village.  Since we never had wandered out of the village, we never knew that restaurant was located there.  For a Monday afternoon, it was surprisingly busy at 1pm.  If we wanted a booth, there was a ½ hour wait, but there was seating at the high top tables in the bar, and that was perfect for us.  The food and service were excellent as always, and even though the ample servings of cheesecake looked tempting, we decided on  small scoops of Ben & Jerry's ice cream in the village.  Following the waterline, we passed the Fish Market and the Bob Hope dedication.

Slowly walking back, we made our way to the offices on deck three to search out the housekeeping chief, Shiv, who we owed many thanks for outfitting our room as requested.  He is the best.  Jacques, the head wine sommelier, was next, and we would search for the hotel director, Henk, later, as he was not in his spot.   It felt like we never left here, since the time from May has flown by all too fast.

Back in our room, we discovered all of the luggage had arrived.  We also met our room steward, Gede, who could not have been nicer.  He took out a few items we did not need, and offered to do whatever he could to make us comfortable.  What a crew they have here.  On our end, we do try to keep things orderly, and seldom bother them for much.  There was a little time to unpack before the drill. 

At the muster drill, we did recognize many folks, even if we did not recall their names.  Our guess is that the long-traveled guests that usually sail the grand Asia, have substituted this cruise instead.  Captain Jeroen Schuchmann, along with the cruise director conducted a speedy muster drill, while we kept watch for seals in the harbor.  Only saw a few seagulls.

Unpacking took the rest of the afternoon, followed by sharing that ice cold bottle of champagne while testing out the veranda chairs.  We were well relaxed by 7:30pm, the fixed dinner seating time.  That came as a surprise, since traditionally, the time has always been 8pm.  Suits us fine.  Our table was 81 on the railing, a four top set for two.  The menu had many selections, but not as extensive as on the world cruise.  One of us had chicken Caesar salad, and the other smoked mozzarella chicken…..both very tasty.  Portions sizes were just right for us.  Dessert was tempting, but we passed, knowing we still had a platter of fresh fruit in our room.

There was one show time featuring Amsterdam's Entertainers in the Mainstage at 9:30pm, a better time for most guests.    No Happy Hour tonight, although most folks were happy to turn in early for the night including us.  The ship left the pier sometime around 10:40pm, slipping away quietly into the mighty Pacific.   It had been one long day, but it has started off and ended quite well.

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report #2 San Diego, California Day Two October 27, 2020 Sunday Overcast 2019 Tales of the South Pacific and 2020 World Cruise 58 Pictures Part #1 Of 1

After a good night's rest, we woke up to overcast skies.  What a sharp contrast from the blue skies and sun we had yesterday.  On the plus side, it would be a comfortable day for walking.

Our hotel includes a complimentary buffet breakfast, so we took advantage of the variety of hot and cold items.  Much the same as what we have at home.  Speaking of home, we have gotten numerous emails telling us of extremely high winds and a wildfire quite close to us.  The power had been shut off last night, and the projected time it would resume would be noon on Monday.  At least, we won't have to evacuate, since we have already left.  We pray that all will be fine in a few days.  The fire was mostly contained today, we heard.

It was good to get outside and stretch our legs.  Down by the pier, we discovered that the Disney Wonder had docked this morning.  No wonder we spotted several kids and their parents dressed in Mickey Mouse t-shirts and ears.  Been there, done that, and was a kick for a one-time cruise.   Can't beat those Mickey ice cream bars and fruity popsicles poolside.  From there, we followed the waterfront past the USS Midway Museum, Seaport Village, and the marina.  Nice to see all of the many fishing and yachting vessels in the harbor.

Taking our usual path, we wandered through the Hilton lobby, across the skyway, then down the elevator to Petco Park, where the Padres play.  The Gaslamp Quarter begins there, and it was hopping with activity this morning.  Dozens of cafes and restaurants were in full swing with Sunday brunch and morning football games.  We ended up once again at the Sign of the Whale, because their California burger was so good yesterday.  With 25 big screen TV's and one 17 foot TV, the place was beyond crazy loud.  Since they were hosting a private party at 3pm, they stopped service at 1:30pm to close the place out.  Worked out well for us.

We still had some shopping to do, and we did locate another CVS pharmacy nearby.  Also found an Ace Hardware.  Street traffic was busy since there was a craft faire happening.  Had to steer clear of those tents because you always find something irresistible there.  One final stop at Rite Aid for a few sodas, and we headed back to the hotel…..exhausted (at least one of us).   Good time to catch up on news from so many various channels that we do not have access to at home.  And so many movies, but so little time.  By the way, thanks for all of the emails that have been pouring in online.  So nice to know we have some pretty nice followers, and we certainly appreciate the wonderful comments.

Figured we would head back to the Claim Jumper for a light dinner while it was still daylight.  What a surprise we had when we entered the restaurant and saw good friends that we met way back in 2002 on the Volendam.  Even though we have kept in touch all of these years, meeting occasionally in between cruises, we had no idea they were booked on this upcoming trip.  Now we will have plenty of time to catch up on all of our travels.  Then we noticed two more couples come inside that we also recognized, so there should be quite a group of regulars on this trip, which is taking place of the Grand Asia/Pacific.

We chatted until darkness fell, then all called it a night.  It was fun watching the Disney Wonder sail out of the harbor playing the familiar Jiminy Cricket tune once again.   Back to the lobby of the hotel, we helped ourselves to chocolate chip cookies, a nice treat offered every evening along with a gigantic bowl of buttered popcorn. 

Tomorrow, we will packed and ready to check out by 11am.  It has been a nice visit here in San Diego, and looking forward to many more adventures ahead.

Bill & Mary Ann 

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Report #1 San Diego, California Day One October 26, 2019 Saturday Sunny & Hot 23 Pictures Part #1 Of 1

Well, here we go again, beginning another adventure, which turned out to be a bit longer than we usually undertake.  Late summer usually has us thinking of cruises to Alaska and Hawaii.  But this year, HAL offered another South Pacific itinerary that really appealed to us.  Aptly named "Tales of the South Pacific", we booked this 51 day cruise, with a two day stay in San Diego.  We will have a 12 day break in December to take care of a million things at home, including the holidays, then head off January 1^st for the 128 day Grand World Voyage.  It is exhausting just thinking about it, as it has taken much planning to make it work smoothly.  So far, we're off to a good start with the unexpected news from our travel agent yesterday that we had been given a complimentary upgrade from our outside room to a veranda.  Miracles do happen.  And it came at a good time, since the situation at home in California has been bleak recently.  The dry weather conditions, mixed with low humidity and high winds has prompted power outages.  At the time we left home, there had already been two phone calls from the power company warning us of blackouts that would begin Saturday evening. News about the many fires in the state have been beyond disturbing as well.  Perfect time for us to leave, we guess.

In August this year, we experienced a weekend of wild fires (arson-started), which closed our roads for two days.  During that time, a doe had a fawn on our place, which is something that occurred once before this.  So we have had a border, with the fawn staying within the safety of our fence, and the doe visiting to take care of her baby.  It has been fun watching her grow and forage for the acorns from the oaks.  She (we assume the fawn is a girl) has been joined by a large buck, who sustained an injury. He took refuge in our place too, rested for a week, then was on his way. Both animals, as well as several of their buddies have become almost tame as they allowed us to approach them with no fear.   We do hope by the time we return, they will be gone and doing their thing elsewhere where they can find more feed.  Once winter hits, there is little to sustain them.

  Much to our surprise, as our driver picked us up at 4:30am, we found that the main road had sustained a water leak that undermined the street.  A crew was working in the dark fixing this leak, making it necessary to reduce the traffic to one lane.  Good thing this was taking place on Saturday, and not during the commute work week.  These things can never be predicted, sort of like Murphy's Law.  In all of the forty years we have lived here, this is the first time to experience these conditions.  If this helps to prevent more devastating fires, then this will be the new normal.

Back to our journey, the ride to SFO was just over an hour.  Lucky again, we had both gotten the TSA pre-check, which worked well for one of us. But with the new knee brace, one of us got the xray and closer scrutiny.  Wanded and swiped, I passed with flying colors.  All went off according to schedule, and we arrived to San Diego before 10am.  It had to be warmer here than at home….more like summer, and not autumn. 

Our hotel for the next two days is located within a few blocks of the cruise terminal.  Today, the Star Princess and Eurodam were in port, so the activity in downtown was noticeable.  Requesting early check-in, we were given a room immediately, instead of waiting until 4pm.  Nice, since we had been up since 3am, and needed to relax for a bit.  But only for a little bit.  With some shopping we needed to do, we were off to get the job done.

But first, after discovering the Westfield Mall was being re-modeled, and only a few stores were opened, we searched the Gaslight District for a suitable restaurant for lunch.  Highly decorated for Halloween, we found the Sign of the Whale, a sports-type bar, was perfect.  And besides, they had specials on ice cold beer today.  Sharing a burger, we enjoyed watching the locals arriving dressed as witches for the occasion.  This must be the weekend for parties.  Even the pet dogs were decked out as pumpkins and ghouly ghosts. 

We did find the local pharmacy with the directions from our waiter, and found most everything we needed.  Looking forward to some down time after the long walk today, back at the hotel, we did some emailing and TV watching.  By 6pm, we headed out for dinner at Claim Jumpers, a few blocks away.  We ordered our favorite salads while watching the Eurodam leave the scenic harbor.  The sun was setting as we finished our meal, ending a nice, but busy long day.

More tomorrow…..

Bill & Mary Ann

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