Report # 59 Monday February 27, 2023 Day #5 Of 7 Enroute To Port Louis, Mauritius Sunny With Clouds And Warmer 75 Degrees Sea State Calm Low Swell

We are beginning to hear some grumblings at breakfast time with our "fancy" group.  Seems the natives are getting anxious to reach land, and the general question is:  Are we there yet???  Day five at sea began a bit differently because we had blue skies and sun.  Now it really feels like we are in the Indian Ocean, with balmy winds and warmer temps.  It appears that the showers are staying away for a while.  Flying fish sightings were numerous.

Today's job was filling out paperwork for the upcoming ports in Mauritius and Reunion.  We always like the fact that the front desk had already filled out the immigration papers for Mauritius.  All we had to do was verify the info and sign them.  No visas required in both of these ports.  There was a visa required for Mozambique, which was $85 per person.  But this time, we had the choice of staying onboard the ship while docked there, or pay the money and go off.    We have never done this in any port, but we have seen Maputo so many times, we feel we will not miss anything this time.  Many of our buddies did the same thing. 

Another form to fill out concerned our Covid 19 vaccinations.  They wanted the type of vaccine and the dates of the initial shot and following boosters.  These papers were then turned into the front desk people on each passenger deck during 9 to10 am.  No line, and no waiting.

We are still not 100% sure we will be going to Tolanaro,  Madagascar.  There are some obstacles in the way, and things we do not know that are ongoing behind the scenes.  The weather may be a factor as well.  Time will tell…….

The port of Durban is of particular interest to us, since we will be leaving the ship for a six day safari to Kruger National Park.  We were requested to bring a copy of our complete itinerary and our letter of deviation from HAL to the front desk at least 4 days prior to leaving the ship.   Why wait?…..today was a good time to do this.  They made copies of each, then confirmed the fact that the ship should be docked at 7am.  As long as they take all of the overland groups off ahead of everyone else, we should have no problem getting to the Durban airport on time.  There was a message that all of us will be getting our passports back the day before we arrive in Durban.  Then there will be  face-to-face inspection with the local authorities…..overlands first we suspect.  This is almost two weeks away, so it will give us time to pack wisely and lightly.

Ian gave the port talk on both Port Louis, Mauritius and La Possession, Reunion.  Most everyone must have attended the lecture because the deck was empty of walkers.  We like it better that way without people running around us and at us.  The mirrors that Henk had installed in the forward and aft sections of the promenade deck, have worked well.  No head-on accidents…..

Then we went up to deck 10 and found two lounges to relax in the sun.  Real sun today, and very warm.  And nobody hosing.  Depending on the direction the wind is blowing, these upper decks get a dusting of ash from the stacks.  We have learned the hard way that this black soot can stain clothing, so it is necessary to use towels on the chairs.  Today there was one towel left.  Within the hour, an attendant did arrive with clean ones.  Staying only an hour, we decided any longer….we may be sunburned.  Not worth it.

There was yet another Block Party, where you can meet up with your neighbors and meet the officers and crew for complimentary wine and cheers.  This happened at 4pm, however, we did not participate because the folks on each side of us are sick.  Hard not to miss the coughing and sneezing.  It seems that a virus is traveling rapidly among the guests and crew.  Not Covid, but a serious cold.  Honestly, it is almost unavoidable no matter how many times you wash your hands, sanitize, or wear masks.  It will run its course.

Our potted narcissus are growing rapidly now, sending out some flower stalks.  The marigolds are small, but will probably never do much.  Still, it is fun to watch.  Also fun to watch was another sunset, although they have not met the "spectacular" description, they have been a touch of color on the horizon most nights. 

We had a surprise guest at dinner this evening.  Don McD, a long time friend of all of us, joined our table.  He usually has a table for one at the railing, but will occasionally join other guests.  For some reason, the noise level in the upper dining room was especially high.  One table had some guests that were having a jolly fine time, due to Have-It -All we suspect.  Once again, they had it all and more……  The appetizers were good with Grandma's chicken noodle soup, shrimp (always a shrimp starter, sometime two) and salads.  A cold soup as well as two hot soups were on the menu too.  Mains were questionable.  We all asked what lobzter a la vodka was, and found it was the vegetarian entrée.  One of us had the trout (no bones), and the other a pasta with pork ragout.  Never having tried this before, I found it tasty and the pork was sauteed sausage.   Despite the extra noise, we all had a fine time.

No time change tonight…..thank goodness.  That does tend to catch up with you after three days of changes.  This is something strange.  A few evenings ago, we got "foot towels" alongside the bed for the first time this trip.  Asking our room stewards provided no clues as to why these showed up.  We did not see them tonight, and figured they were something else for the folks to trip over.  The following morning, two pairs of cloth slippers were left for us.  Why now?  Maybe they were just found in the storage area?  We'll have to ask……

We asked Greg and Heo about last night's entertainer, which was a comedian yo-yo man.  He did not give the performance a high mark.  But the fellows did go to the show tonight to listen to Elijah Rock, a singer, hoping he will be better.

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report # 58 Sunday February 26, 2023 Day #4 Of 7 Enroute To Port Louis, Mauritius Cloudy With Some Sun 75 Degrees Slight Seas Three Foot Swell

 

So far, so good….were the words of Captain Friso during his afternoon talk today.  He was referring to the weather and sea conditions, which is all good news.  Now that we are into the fourth day at sea, the temperatures are getting warmer, although the sun has been having problems appearing.  Many clouds and passing showers have filled the skies.

Sunday Brunch happened again at 11am.  Everyone said it was a full house, but it is a different twist on starting the day.  We stuck to our 8am breakfast upstairs.  Another guest had come into the room during the service time, and upon being turned away nicely, she said – oh I see this is for the fancy people.   Now we have a new name….fancy people.  Our waiters liked that.

We kept busy as usual,  catching up on news of the day and reading books, etc.  We even had a chance to try out those lounges again on deck 10.  This time we were not bothered by workers hosing.  The aft pool area was still sparsely used, and no one was in the pool.  The two jacuzzis seem to get the biggest workout. 

This afternoon, we got a package of visa papers and an important immigration advisory.  Tomorrow we will be required to turn in the signed Mauritius Immigration card, the Mozambique shore leave and visa questionnaire, and the Covid 19 vaccine and booster questionnaire.  It appears there is no charge for Mauritius, but there are options for Mozambique.  The visa costs $85 USD per person, but if you choose to remain onboard, you will not be charged.  In addition, we were given two copies of our passport pages, which we will have to show the local authorities upon leaving the ship in many African ports.   

Lastly, our passports will be handed back to all of us before we reach Durban South Africa.  The original yellow fever vaccination cards have to be included or a medical exemption letter.  All guests will be requested to present themselves for a face-to-face inspection upon arrival in Durban.   Hopefully those of us who are on overland tours will be able to go first, so we can get to the airport for our flights.

On our last day in Cape Town, we will have to do a departure face-to-face with immigrations.   More info on that will be sent at the proper time.  It can be complicated, but in the past all has gone well as long as the ship arrives super early to Durban. 

This evening ,we were invited to a special gathering for a private Cabana Bash at 6:30pm in the Retreat area of the ship.  We found that the invitation was described in a way that left us all with questions as to who was invited.  The President's Club group and other travel friends were included.  It was obvious to us that the Neptune guests had been included at this party, because when we arrived to deck 11, there must have been well over 150 people there.  Many guests we knew from our group, but there were even more we did not recognize.   Compared to the group we had at this event last fall where there were a dozen PC guests, this was way different.  A bar had been set up with about every choice of alcohol, wine, or beer you wanted.  Many hot canapies were being passed around by "dancing" waiters.  There was a DJ doing the music, which for this group, was a bit loud.  We have to say, many of the elderly guests were dancing in place, because they could not talk over the music, we suspect.  Guest Relations Manager, Maja, was having the most fun as always.   Several officers we have never seen, appeared at this gathering, mixing with the group. 

The party was supposed to be over by 7:30pm, but if the bar closed down, we never noticed.  Our dinnermates had already left, and we followed behind them by 10 minutes.  The staff was most grateful that it did not rain, which it did briefly at 5:30pm.  In case it did rain, they had an alternate plan of going to the Lido Deck midship.  The last time we had the small gathering up here, it not only rained, but it flooded with a deluge.   We all got lucky tonight.

Dinner had some hard choices.  Salads were easy, but entrees were different.  One of us had swordfish, which was a bit on the tough side.  We think this is due to possibly microwaving the meal to keep it hot.  The other entrée was thin slices of tri-tip beef with a baked potato.  For some unknown reason, our waiter lost Barb's order, and she could not remember what she had ordered.  Even though she told Nik not to bring anything, he did bring a chicken dinner, which she did eat.  Next time, he better not throw the order away too soon.  The same could happen with any of us.

The clocks went back another hour tonight.  We do hope this will be OK for several days now. 

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report # 57 Saturday February 25, 2023 Sea Day #3 Of 7 Enroute To Port Louis, Mauritius Cloudy With Some Sun 75 Degrees 5' Swells

Day three at sea began as usual…….overcast skies with rain on the horizon no matter where we looked.  The seas had calmed down even more than yesterday, and we have begun to see more and more flying fish.   Bet the waters are warming up as well the further northwest we travel.  Guess we can say we are halfway to Mauritius now.  By the time we went to breakfast, the skies were clearing up and we actually saw some sun.  It would not last long.

Our friend Rene, the Spa Manager, was on the hot seat with Ian this morning at his Coffee Chat in the Rolling Stone Lounge. At 9am.  Greg, who is a very close friend of Rene's, said he would attend this talk in person to give Rene some support if she gets nervous.  Later on in the afternoon, Greg said she did just fine with the inquiry and he invited her to dinner.  We discovered this when we called him because we forgot to tell our tablemates we were going to the Pinnacle Grill this evening.  Now they will have room for one or two more if they choose to.

For the first time since we boarded back in January, we took a walk to deck 10, pulled up two end lounges, and sat in the "almost" sun.  There was one other person doing the same thing.   It is very quiet here, with the exception of the basketball and tennis courts up another level.  And it was nice until…….two deck fellows arrived and began hosing the decking around the remaining lounges.  The one other guest got up and left, but we stayed.    We were so far on the end, we thought they might go away.  They never did.  They had a job to do with hosing the residue from the stacks, and that was that.  Tired of getting spray drift over us, we picked up the towels and headed back to our room.  Is that Murphy's Law or what?

We had a request to turn in un-used wooden hangers and laundry baskets so their operation can put them to good use.  In the beginning, we turned 99% of those wooden hangers, and got the felt ones instead.   The last time there was a shortage of laundry baskets, they had to use paper bags.  We shall see if this occurs.  The other note we got tonight was a reminder to turn the clocks back another hour.   We believe there is one more to go to be on Mauritius time.  This is hard doing these time changes so close together.  It leaves one feeling tired most all day.

Like we said, dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill tonight.  When we entered the room, we saw the last of the President's Club dinners in progress.  We recognized most all of the folks there, especially Pauline and Mike.   Their dinner seemed to end earlier than ours had, because the Captain and Chantal had left before it was over.  When the rest of the group left the room, Mike and Pauline came over to our table and joined us for a while.  Since we have not seen them very much so far, it was nice to catch up on news and such.  They seemed to have some info concerning missing food.  It appears we have not received all of the containers on time, and the deliveries had to be forwarded to upcoming ports.  Makes sense.  They told us all about the dinners in the Lido, and said it has not be the usual fare we have all seen on other world cruises.  The menu choices seem to be dialed down, compared to the choices in the main dining room.  We called it a night by 9:30pm, and said we could pick up the conversation at tomorrow's special President's Club event in the Cabana Area at 6:30pm. 

So our meals were delicious with wedge salads and lamb chops, cooked to our liking….medium.  We had asked for just the chops on the plate, no mushy beans swiped on the bottom.  We added a small baked potato and a shared bowl of mushrooms.  Desserts were not the same as one of us had the crème Brule, and the other orange sorbet.  The service was excellent.

The entertainment tonight was a performance by the singers and dancers doing "Classique Reprised".  Lucky for them, the seas have subsided enough for them to do their act safely.

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report # 56 Friday February 24, 2023 Day #2 At Sea Enroute To Port Louis, Mauritius Cloudy And Windy A Lot Less Rocking And Rolling 70 Degrees

Today began much the same as yesterday, except the rolling seas had calmed down somewhat.  It was a little bit warmer today…perhaps 70 degrees and a tad more humid.   Heading primarily west, we have not begun heading north as we must do to reach Mauritius and Reunion.   Sometimes the Captain will take a course to take advantage of currents and wind directions.  Right now, we are seeing a following wind, which helps with fuel saving, something we have learned in the past.  Other than many white caps, we also saw a few sea birds, perhaps shearwaters,  and a couple of flying fish.  And we don't believe we saw any sun today at all.  The skies remained cloudy and rainy on the horizon.

The usual sea day activities took place, and at 1pm, a movie by the name of "The Menu" was shown in the Rolling Stone Lounge.  Greg and Heo went to check it out, and they both agreed it was a bizarre film where everyone was murdered.  Boy that's uplifting.  The only positive note was that popcorn was served.  And some of the guests grabbed a bag on their way out of the movie shortly after it began.  We won't have to worry about watching for this film to be shown on the room TV's, because newer ones never are. 

A new guest speaker is onboard by the name of Leah Dann.  She is an expert in biology and everything in nature.  Today she gave a lecture on amazing coral reefs.  We really wish they could record these talks and rerun them on our room TV's, but there is a reason we do not know why that cannot be done. 

Lunch for us was room service soup, a cheeseburger with extra French fries, and a salad.  We have backed off of the cookies, since they are addictive.  And besides, we have Tim Tams to munch on.  A 5 o'clock  snack for us is an apple, which tides us over nicely until dinnertime.

We were pretty much alone walking on the promenade deck at 5:30pm, since the majority of guests are eating dinner.  Many others are in the lounges and bars, perhaps enjoying the 50% off of the beverages between 4-5pm and 6:30- 7:30pm.  It happens again at 10-11pm.  We also heard that Rey, the bartender from the last world cruise (an several others) has joined the ship.  He brought his hilarious rubber "chicken" with him too.  We have missed her…….

Dinner was much improved this evening with better choices and nicer entrees.  For the first time, they offered lamb shank, the usual red snapper, and prime rib.  All very good.  Every serving was "huge" as Barb would say.  Watermelon turned up on the fruit plate for dessert, and this morning, our waiters found Greek yogurt.  Guess they located the container a few days late.  Better late than never, we say. 

Initially, the entertainer tonight was supposed to be a pianist/singer, Elijah Rock, but another multi-instrumentalist, Trevor Knight, took his place.  Elijah will be on the stage February 27^th.  Sometimes that means someone is under the weather, and unable to perform, but that's just us thinking out loud. 

By the way, Oscar, our favorite head waiter is not feeling well.  Seems he caught the nasty cold bug that is passing through the ship.  Some guests have even lost their voices.  And tomorrow's Daily Program had a warning printed on the front page:  Please cough or sneeze in a tissue or your sleeve.  That speaks volumes to us. 

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report # 55 Friday February 24, 2023 Day #1 Of 7 Sea Days Enroute To Port Louis, Mauritius Cool And Windy 65 Degrees Sea State Rocking And Rolling 10-12 Foot Swells

 

Today begins the start of a seven day crossing of the Indian Ocean to Mauritius.  And it was not exactly like we thought it would be.   The Indian Ocean conjures up thoughts of hot and steamy weather.  But today, we found that our veranda thermometer was not even at 70 degrees.  The winds and waves had picked up over night, and we were greeted with rocking and rolling along with gale force winds.  Yesterday we could tell there may be some rough seas when Captain Friso gave his pm talk before leaving Fremantle.   Now that we are sailing in open waters, we expect things to get even rougher.  And this is just day one…..

It appears that we have lost the Culinary operations Manager, Stephen.  The story has it that he received a yellow fever vaccination, and had an allergic reaction to it.  So far, he has not been replaced, but a decision has to be done soon.  He left the ship in Fremantle and headed home from what we understand.  For some unknown reason, we have been running low on several popular items such as assorted fresh berries and even Greek yogurt.  Fresh produce seems to be stretched in some instances, and we are sure there is a list of things missing.  Could be shortages when it is delivered, or the ordering has been cutting it too close. 

Our day was another lazy one with a couple of exciting walks on the promenade deck.  In the afternoon around 5pm, we crossed the bow of the promenade deck and actually levitated off of the deck.  The pitch was that extreme, and the listing just as bad.  No wonder there were no walkers at all, but us.  The mist was picking up off of the waves and washing across the starboard deck.  It was soaked, as well as our clothes and hair.  By the time we finished our hike, we felt salty.  Even the teak decks showed piles of salt.  Bet there will a lot of hosing if this keeps up for several days.  So far, things have not gotten bad enough to close the deck to walkers, but that could change at anytime. 

We noticed a new activity that popped up on the Daily Program.  Ww saw this on the Tales of the South Pacific last fall.  It is a painting class for $25 where the class is taught to use acrylic art on canvas.  The class time is only 90 minutes…barely enough time to learn to clean brushes properly.   This session was held in what is the Library now, so it had to be moved to the Art Studio deck 10.  

We took the time to give our personal crew members a thank you by going on the Navigator site on the computer.  We are referring to our room attendants, dining room waiters, and room service staff.  Our comments go a long way for these fellows, and they instantly thanked us after they were informed. 

Dinnertime found that we had company.  A mutual friend, Rich, joined us , since his wife is still in quarantine due to Covid.  He recently got released, actually today, after an 8 day lock-up.  Since she is confined to their suite, he will continue to stay in his lock-up room, even though he is free to go about the ship.  For the first time on this trip Bill and Heo ordered a cod dish that was horrible….full of bones and scales and tough.  Yuck.  They did let our waiter know, as well as the assistant dining room manager.  Not sure what it means, but the head waiter took both room numbers.  And that's why I love spaghetti entrees.  No bones, no smell, no scales, etc.

Oh well, desserts were OK, although the fruit plates had no watermelon or pineapple.  Even after our large delivery yesterday.  Shorted again?

During the conversation at dinnertime, it came to our attention that on Mardi Gras night, only the first dinner seating guests got the assorted beads.  When we arrived at 7:30pm, there were no necklaces to be seen, at least on deck three.  We had promised to save some for Susie's projects, but came up empty. First time ever to run out of those fun things.  Also…….no eye masks or silly hats.

The entertainment in the World Stage was the Dance Band's jazzed up Beatles.

And as we are sailing in a westerly direction, the clocks went back another hour last night.  We expect there will be a few more before we get to our next port.  And although nothing has been said yet, but we think there may be internet problems.  If you do not hear from us, you will know why.

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report #54 Wednesday February 22, 2023 "National Margarita Day" Fremantle, Western Australia Day #2 Sunny And Windy 82 Degrees

 

Our second day in Fremantle began a bit more comfortable than yesterday.  It was warm, but there was a fresh breeze that kept the temperatures down.  A great day for a walk, of course.

Most everyone at breakfast had slept late, since we were the first ones there near 8am.  Slowly but surely, the rest of our group wandered in before 9am, and closing time. 

Today would be the final day for the Australian Biosecurity Alert concerning taking food off of the ship.  We may be searched for any food, plant and animal products, shoes or clothing or equipment used near animals in rural areas.   If you break these laws, you could face penalties up to $5,500 and your visa could be canceled.   We wonder if this has ever happened to any guest?  You would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to be aware of these rules. 

For those folks that had spent a lot of money in Australia, they were able to get their passports to get their tax refund.  An area of the terminal had been set up for a line of folks applying for this refund from 1 to 3:30pm.   Then the passports would be returned to the front desk once again. 

We stayed onboard until 9:30am, then went off of the ship for a more detailed walk from yesterday.  We had missed a lot due to the closure of the pedestrian overpass.  Just as we were exiting the gate of the terminal building, we ran right into Christel, Henk's sweet wife, and our former Guest Relations Manager from many past world cruises.  Henk had mentioned she would join the ship yesterday, flying from their home in the Netherlands.  It was so nice to see her, since the last time we said goodbye, was from here as we were leaving the ship.  There was a fear in all of us that we may never see each other again.  None of us knew what laid ahead with the Covid virus taking over the world.  And it was uncharted territory for everyone…passengers and crew alike.  But here we are, once again, three years later, and back on yet another world voyage.  Christel hopes to be on at least until Amsterdam, but if all goes well, she could sail until the end in Ft. Lauderdale.   Good news either way…especially for Henk.

So we headed towards the rest of Victoria Quay and the Ferry Terminal for both Rottnest Island and the boat to Perth up the Swan River.  It was located at Shed B where tickets could be purchased.   We walked past the old masted sailing vessel, Leeuwin II, as well as the Western Australia Maritime Museum.  It s home to the America's Cup winning yacht, the Australia II.

Following the harbor path, we located Bather's Beach, which is rather small, but convenient for locals.  Some sunbathers were out and about with small kids, and a few fellows were in the water.  This is one of the beaches that has a restaurant licensed to serve alcohol to the beach-goers.  The famous Round House is located here too.  It is the oldest public building and was used to house the earlier prisoners sent here. 

Continuing on, we came across a boardwalk that led to the working harbor where many fresh seafood restaurants are overlooking the marina.  It is also the part of town we went to yesterday for lunch, Little Creatures Brewery.  Since it was only 11am, we kept walking until noon time.  From Esplanade Park where we sat in the sun for a spell, we headed into central Fremantle for a walkabout.  We recalled several restaurants where we had dined on past trips, and found that many of them were closed.  Some were being renovated, other were just plain shut down.   Guess Covid hit this part of Australia hard. 

At noon, we headed back to Little Creatures for a repeat lunch like yesterday.  Except this time, we took advantage of a beer special, which was a pint of Spezial beer for $10.  Then we ordered a pizza topped with parma ham, which was quite a generous portion.   Sitting in the back patio, we found it was actually cool today.  By the time we finished, the entire patio was full of hungry guests.   Obviously a popular place for tourists and locals too.

The next job was to locate an ice cream shop for dessert.  We found a gelateria on Market Street and had one cup and one cone full of vanilla with cut-up Twix bars.  Really good.  Our former host Tom M came along and gave us directions to a money changer and a possible grocery store.   On the way we passed by the square where the port bus stopped.  To our surprise, there was a fight in progress with some local homeless women.  A rolling on the ground fight, where not one person intervened.  This morning, Lynn had told us about a group of men exploding into a brawl near Target.  The police came and broke it up, but she advised us to stay away from that area.    However, it was up this street where the money changer was, which took a few minutes to cash in some New Zealand dollars we had left over.   There were a few more things we needed at the pharmacy, so with all of our collection of coins and paper money, we managed to spend all but 60 cents. 

We played with the idea of taking the shuttle back to the ship, but just as we began walking up the street, the door closed and the bus took off.   That was a sign we needed to walk and honestly, it wasn't that far.  Crossing the LRV and railroad tracks once again, we got back to the terminal just as the bus was arriving. 

We were back onboard by 2:30pm and relaxing on the veranda and dealing with photo downloading.  The sun was gone on the portside, so it got chilly.  Between 3 and 5pm, we were required to check in at our emergency muster station.  Since it has not been 30 days since or last muster check, or it does not appear to be another segment, we wonder the reason for this drill.  It must be required by the local port authority.  We expected our room TV to be shut off, but it was not until during our dinnertime.   We had to run the video to completion, or our TV would not work. 

There was a sail away party on the promenade deck, right below our veranda at 4:30pm.  Usually they are on the Seaview Deck, but it may have been too windy today.   A drink station had been set up for those who wished to imbibe.  And it sounded like many did just that.  It was interesting watching the gangways being removed from deck 3 by the local dock crew.  We missed this three years ago, because we had all been sent home.  The ship left after 5pm, and sailed out of the harbor and into the Indian Ocean.  We will have seven sea days to reach Mauritius.  We also hope that the sailing will be smooth, since it isn't always that way.  

All seven of us were back to our table with stories to share.  The fellows had been gone for 2 days and told us all about their day in Perth yesterday and Fremantle today.  Susie and Woody said they liked the dinner cruise, although getting in and out of buses was difficult for Woody.  A very nice passenger helped him, but not the Explorations team. 

For appetizers, three of us had the chicken noodle soup, and chicken tenders.  Mains were stuffed cannellinis with a small chicken breast and one barramundi entrée.  We told the four missing from last night's dinner that they lost their chance for the excellent veal chop one of us ordered.  Perhaps it will hit the Club Orange menu again in 10 days.

Ellen and Aart celebrated his birthday (2 days later) with a specially-made banana cake…..ice cream on the side was optional.   They shared it with all of us. 

We cannot say enough about visiting  Australia….it is a fabulous country and we hope to be back again someday.

Bill & Mary Ann

204 Pictures

Report #53 Tuesday February 21, 2023 Fremantle, Western Australia Day #2 Mardi Gras Arrive 8am Overnite Leave 2-22-23 At 5pm Docked Sunny And Hot 85 Degrees

 

Fremantle is our port of call for the next two days.  It is Western Australia's major port, and is located 22 km south of Perth.  It is also known locally as "Funky Fremantle"  with all of the artsy students that fill this harbor town.   There are craft breweries, live music venues, hipster bars, and dozens of coffee joints.  And it is also the place where all of us passengers disembarked the Amsterdam in 2020 when Covid hit the cruise industry.  Oh yes, we remember it well.  It would be the last time we ever saw that ship again, since it was sold soon afterwards, along with three HAL other ships.   On the positive side, here we are once again, enjoying the last two days of Australia in a fun city as well as having access to Perth.

By the time we remembered to check out the tours for the day, they had been removed, with the exception of the Dinner Cruise this evening for $200.  Tablemates Susie and Woody chose this tour for their complimentary excursion.  By the time we got home last fall to book this tour, it had been filled with no wait list.  We may use our free tour when we get to northern Europe later in the trip. 

To begin, the day was promising to be a very warm one.  Also humid.  There was early morning fog, but eventually it burned off….similar to downtown San Francisco. The ship was docked portside by 8am.  This was nice because we had full view of the gangways and the cruise terminal.  There was a local band there playing for an hour or more. We stayed onboard until 10am.  By then all of the tour groups were off and running.  In the terminal, we picked up some good maps of Fremantle and outlying areas as well.

Once we left the building, we walked to the main street, Peter Hughes Drive, and followed it to the walking bridge that went over it.  Well, the bridge was roped off with a sign saying it was closed due to safety reasons.  We did notice that there was a free bus outside the terminal, but did not pay much attention to it.   There had been no announcement that there would be a ride to downtown, unless we happened to miss something in Ian's talk.  It certainly was not printed in the Daily Program.  All that was there was the train to Perth, a 20 minute walk from the dock, or a 10 minute walk to the city center.   To be honest, it is longer than that for most folks.

We had heard that the supermarket Coles and Woolworths was not there anymore.  Gosh, in three years a lot can change.  This would have been a convenient stop for the crew members who stock up on snacks.  Don't know where they can be found now?  Continuing past the train station, we turned and crossed the tracks and took a short side street to downtown.  It wasn't long before we were in the area of 250 buildings that were built in the 1800's.  These days they house small bars, restaurants, a gin distillery, and coffee shops.  Hundreds of small businesses line the streets as well.  Universities are also in these buildings with the young folk patronizing the businesses, especially the cafes and coffee shops. 

We made our way to the Esplanade Reserve, a spacious park where the Tourist Wheel is located.   Built the same a ferris wheel, it goes very slowly so as to get the best overall views of the town and Indian Ocean.   It was so warm, it would have been nice to find an empty bench to relax in the shade, but there were none.  There is a kiddie park here where young parents were out and about with their families…all filling the benches.  When one of the moms left, we grabbed the bench quickly. 

Crossing the railroad tracks again, we headed for the Fishing Boat Harbor and a row of restaurants that face the marina.  One of the nicest one there was the Little Creatures Village, home to the Little Creatures Brewery, a place we had dined several years ago.  The restaurant is in a warehouse with the brewery inside the building.  We walked to the back patio that overlooked the harbor, and happened run into the ships' sommelier, Jacques, whom we have known for many years.  A wine expert, he must be in the best place for wines and beers.  We found a menu and a hightop table on the patio, and ordered Freo draft beers and a pepperoni pizza with artichokes and olives.  It was not crowded yet, so we sat on the patio for a long time taking in the views.  This place has a real wood-fired oven, so the pizza crust was cooked perfectly.  It may be a long time before we find another pizza this good as the cruise continues.  But we will try….

Getting back to High Street, one of the main drives, we walked to Fremantle Townhall and the surrounding area.  It would have been nice to tour the Fremantle Markets, but they are only opened Fridays and weekends.  We did locate the central information building with scores of maps and brochures of Western Australian.  Great reading material even if we were not going there this time.  There was a brochure on the gold mining fields inland from here.  We watch a TV show at home about gold mining in the deserts, and this is where it was filmed.  Interesting show with some of the toughest Aussies on the planet. 

Located in the library next door, were very nice restrooms….always nice to know their location.  Sharing the square was the bus stop for the ride back to the ship. After doing a little shopping in a chemist shop (pharmacy), we joined the bus, and were back to the ship by 2:30pm.  Tomorrow we may retrace our steps, but take in what we missed today.  Hopefully it will be a bit cooler.

Back in our room, we relaxed on the veranda, where it actually became cool enough for a light jacket.  A breeze had popped up in the late afternoon, cooling everything off.  Later on, the high fog began to roll in.  Yep, just like SF.    It was a good time to do computer work and dive into the informative magazines and brochures we picked up. 

Today happened to be Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.  Last night we noticed our waiters folding gold, green, and orange napkins for the dining room.  It struck a memory of when the waiters also dressed for the occasion with checkerboard vests and jester hats.  Sadly, that frivolity is long gone, as are the decorations we once enjoyed.  Upon entering the upper dining room, there were six colored lights on the floor lighting up the wall.  That's as good as it got.  And there were Mardi Gras beads handed out in the bars, but no where else.  It's too bad that this holiday fell on a port day, as the dining room was only half full at the most.  Lots of folks went to town or were on that dinner tour.

Anyway, we had only three of us there, but the best service and great food.   Salad and soups were good, and our mains were even better.  Barb had the spicy shrimp, one of us ordered the catfish, and one of us had the biggest veal chop ever.  And the best veal chop ever.  It was written as a veal loin, but turned out to look like a tomahawk  steak with the large bone.  Too much for one, it was shared.  It was under the Club Orange offering, so it wasn't available to everyone.   Desserts were special, so we each had one.  A fried begniere? was like fried donuts , while the King cake was a green-tinted cinnamon roll.   The best part of the evening was having a dinner for three (including Barb) without a lot of noise around us as the tables were about empty.

Mardi Gras activities continued from 8pm to 10:30pm…all in the Rolling Stones Lounge.  They involved a scavenger hunt for gold coins, a bead toss game, a party, a costume contest, pass the beads, and after party.  Maybe our tablemates Greg and Heo will return from Perth early enough to participate in these activities.  Or not……

We are looking forward to another day in Fremantle, because after this port, we will face seven days at sea on the way to Mauritius.

Bill & Mary Ann

125 Pictures

Report #52 Monday February 20, 2023 Day At Sea Enroute To Fremantle,Western Australia Windy And Mostly Cloudy 70 Degrees

Our third day at sea found the seas less active and the temperature rising.  Later in the day, we even spotted land, we assume near Albany.  This was always a place we stopped on our way to Fremantle, but we guess there was no time for that port this time. 

It was another lazy day for us with an earlier lunch.  We had the invitation to the 2020 Get-Together at 2pm in the World Stage, and had to check it out. Sparkling wine was offered, but we declined.  They did offer to substitute sodas or water, but again, we said thanks, but we had just eaten lunch. Nice they asked.

Sitting on the deck three balcony, we watched as the show lounge filled with the rest of the 480 or so guests that had actually been on the Amsterdam in 2020 when we were all sent home.  On the screen were some photos of the officers and crew during their longer stay on the ship, having no place to go, and no easy way to get home. 

Captain Friso gave a short talk about what had happened, then introduced Henk, the Hotel Manager, who was on the ship during that fiasco.  Ian joined him in a Q and A, amusing at times, regarding what it was like surviving such an unprecedented incident.  After the initial shock, the officers and crew took on the task of getting all of the guests off of the ship in a two- day period.  Talk about stress on both ends.  

Then with the help of several select officers and crew members, each one told a personal story about their experience and their feelings of sadness watching passengers leave into the unknown.  By the time they all got to their homes around the world, they were out of jobs for who knew how long.  Deeper sadness.  In time, the sailings began to resume, and those that received calls to come back to work were happy again.  Sadly, in the interim, many of the highly-skilled crew members had left the company for jobs on other cruise lines.  It was a matter of survival for them.

The presenters came on the stage, had flutes of sparkling wine handed to them for a toast to everyone's well-being and sailing together again.    Henk mentioned that the entire event would be televised and shown on our TV's later on for everyone to watch. We noticed that there was no mention of the man responsible for the entire successful operation onboard, and that was Captain Jonathan Mercer.  In our humble opinion, he deserved more than a mention, and more than a short clip of the line of officers waving goodbye to all of us.  But once again, what do we know?

The very overcast and cloudy day eventually turned into a sunny afternoon with sun on our deck, once the ship rounded the corner, so to speak, and headed north.  The Captain announced that the next two days in Fremantle/Perth will be nice and warm with temperatures in the 80's. 

Dinner found us all present where we discussed the special event today.  Greg mentioned that some folks sitting around him were moved to tears listening to the crew members share their stories.  One of Barb's and Susie's favorite entrees was on the menu this evening……..liver and onions.  It was promised to be cooked medium to medium rare, but when it arrived, it was very over-cooked and dry.  Oscar, our head waiter (or assistant maitre'd) agreed the liver looked bad, and insisted on bringing some freshly-cooked slices.  Glad he offered it, because when it arrived, it was perfect, according to Barb and Susie who ate every single bite.  We ordered one entrée of beef ribs (no bones), and a salmon dinner.  Both tasty and just enough.  Tomorrow the ship should be getting major deliveries, so we hope to see our favorite items come back.

In the World Stage tonight, was a combo magician and comedian by the name of Adam Dean.  Half of our tablemates were going to see him for a change.

Looking forward to exploring Fremantle for the next few days.

Bill & Mary Ann

31 Pictures

Report #51 Sunday February 19, 2023 Day At Sea Enroute To Fremantle, Australia Sunny And Windy 72 Degrees 12 Foot Deep Swell

 

Another day at sea began much the same as yesterday.  The seas have calmed a bit, but the rolling and pitching continue.  We have become so used to the motion, we barely notice it unless we are walking the promenade deck and see the bow of the ship dip deeply where we lose sight of the horizon.  It does bother some folks, so that might be the reason there have been so few people using the lounges on this deck.  The drop in temperature may be a factor as well.  No doubt, it is warmer in the Lido pool area, but we rarely go there.  When the retractable roof is mostly closed, it seems claustrophobic to us.  We have to have the fresh sea breeze blowing in our faces.

We forgot to mention that yesterday we were asked to turn in our passports that had been given to us before arriving to Sydney.  We had received a letter explaining that the Australian Border Force will clear us without a face-to-face drill.  That was a tedious process in Sydney, which we are most happy to avoid in Fremantle.  The desks for collection were set up on each passenger deck, and there was no waiting at all to collect the receipt we will need for the next time.  One thing they are taking a closer accounting of is our yellow fever vaccination cards or a letter of exemption from a certified doctor.   These will come more into play when we reach the upcoming ports in West Africa. 

Another invitation arrived last evening from the Captain, Henk ,the hotel manager, and Ian, the travel director.   It is a "private" Amsterdam 2020 Grand World Voyage Reflection Get-Together at 2pm in the World Stage tomorrow, February 20^th.  It was worded:  Join us for a reminiscing slide show, complimentary sparkling wine, and an address from Captain Friso.  There will be heartfelt words of reflections by the crew and a toast to your well-being and sailing together again.  Well put.......but, we have a problem with the "private" part.  It is too bad that everyone on this trip isn't included, as it separates the guests even more.  But what do we know?

Well today was Sunday, a day at sea, and another reason for Sunday Brunch in the dining room from 11am to 1pm.  It was reservations only, but we heard that the room was not as full as the previous two brunches.   We are surprised that Barb does go with our tablemates, because one of the items they served used to be caviar.  The key words are "used to".  We have yet to see a trace of caviar anywhere on the menu, unless you would like to pay a high price for it.  The one time we attended a brunch back when it began several years ago, we donated the caviar to Barb, who was pleased as punch.   As for us, we were quite content to stick to our tradition breakfast at 8am. 

Ian gave a port talk on Fremantle/Perth this morning, which we will watch on TV.  Of course, we have been there several times, and have taken numerous tours of both towns.  And the last time we even had a two night stay in a hotel in Perth, waiting for our plane ride back to the USA.  Of course, that's when everyone headed home…like it, or not.  The day after we flew out of Perth to Sydney, the international flights had been grounded due to Covid.   One of our friends had not made it out on time, and had to go to the American Embassy for help.  He got lucky, and did leave, but could have been stuck in Australia for who knows how long?

The arts and crafts group were making masks and hair pieces for Mardi Gras, which is coming up soon.  The regular arts and crafts in the Lido was making seashell cards.  Since we have avoided that area of the ship 100%, we do not know how well that group is attended.  It must be a good and popular activity because the group is divided into two different sessions for one craft. 

And now we are starting to see dance lessons with the Zuiderdam dancers.  Could it be that the ladies that were used to dance hosts and teachers rallied for this activity, since there are none on this trip?  Would love to know. 

We had a lazy day, which was nice.  Finally found some time to read a few books from the library and do some needed computer work. Sitting on the veranda, we needed sweatshirts and blankets.  Going east to west, we have no sun at all during the day.   Dinnertime came around quickly, and all of us were present.  The coconut-breaded shrimps were the most ordered appetizer, and the fish and chips were also number one.  Tonight the fries were crispy and hot, although we did not figure out what the dip ws on the plate.  Barb said tomato sauce,  Susie said marinara, and we said….who knows?  It was not catsup.  We discovered they have jello here, which Barb says is sugar-free.  It did come with one coveted blueberry on top of the whipped cream. 

There was a new showman on the stage tonight by the name of John Thiering from Australia.  He creates drawings in sand with his hands, and it appears on the screens.  We have seen this show before and found it mesmerizing.  We are sure Greg and Heo will go to check it out and report back tomorrow.

Almost forgot….. the clocks were put back one more hour tonight, and that will put us on Perth time.

Bill & Mary Ann 

15 Pictures

Report #50 Saturday February 18, 2023 Day At Sea Enroute To Fremantle, Australia Sunny And Cool 72 Degrees Deep Swell

 

A day at sea is what we all needed.  May have been a good time to sleep in later, but with the time change last night, one of us seems to wake up earlier.   Up with the chickens is an appropriate description.  On sea days, breakfast service in the dining room is 8 to 9:30am, so that works for us. 

The seas began to rock and roll as the day progressed, and we had expected this.  After leaving Kangaroo Island, we headed into the Great Australian Bight, a body of water that is open to the Southern Ocean.  Currents here come from Antarctica, and mix with the warmer waters, creating some pretty interesting sailing for many ships.  We would guess the swells have reached 10 to 12 feet or more.  The winds had picked up dropping the temperature to 70 degrees more or less.  Now that the ship is heading almost due west, the sun does not shine on either port or starboard side.  This will change when we reach Fremantle which is on the southwest coast of Western Australia.  It will take two more sea days to arrive there.

During his noon talk, Captain Friso planted a seed of doubt regarding the upcoming port of Talanaro, Madagascar scheduled on March 5^th.  He explained that despite the fact that this has been on the itinerary for quite some time, things can change, especially in this part of the world.  The local officials of Madagascar are saying the port area is not designed to take a ship of our size, and would be dangerous to do so.  This is not the first time a country such as this one, has switched their minds about the ship docking.  Most times, it is weather-related, which we all understand.  Even more so, if a disease prevents us from landing there.  Then we are grateful.  Since it is still faraway, things could change and we may stop there.  Several years ago, we made a stop in Nosy Be on the north tip of the island.  Once was enough for us, as the conditions were third world.  The only way for us to see a lemur or a chameleon was to take their tour to an island where these creatures are pets of the locals.   Definitely not what we all expected.  The way we see it, is that we will save the port charges, which have not even been applied to our accounts yet.  Guess corporate HAL knew something already.  There may be a problem with folks that booked independent tours here.   Many of the seasoned travelers book these tours a year ahead, like we have in South Africa.  We feel secure with a tour there, as South Africa is a much more civilized part of Africa.

We took several hikes around the promenade deck with the fewest walkers ever.  Too cold and rocky.  Then we are seeing a pattern with the deck crew, who seem to come out with their hoses to wash down something.  This starts about 6pm, so we need to plan our hikes earlier.  On the Amsterdam, the crew used to cordon off the doors to the outside decks so they could power-hose everything…including us if we got in the way.

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill this evening.  It will be the second of ten complimentary meals in there.  Even though we ate a light lunch around 2:30pm, we were not all that hungry by 7:30pm.  As we walked into the restaurant, we spotted that another President's Club dinner was in progress.  We recognized all eight of the guests sitting with the Captain and Chantal.  By the amount of chatter we heard coming from the 10 seater table in the side room, it appeared all were having a fine time.   Tina, the manager, said there will be one more dinner for eight.  Then towards the end of the cruise, there will be one big dinner including all of us and the newly-inducted members we suspect.  Rumor has it there will be 11 more people given the honors of the President's Club Group.

We had our usual starters of the wedge salads without the bacon on the side.  Then one of us had an 8 ounce filet mignon steak with the onion rings.  One side of a baked potato was shared between us.  The other entrée was the halibut, which is always very good.  But tonight, it was actually fishy and strong. Lemon did not help.  We have heard comments from friends that the quality has not been up to par, even in this restaurant.  At least there were no bones.

Desserts were one crème burlee and two scoops of a pineapple sorbet.  Perfect ending we think.

The clocks were set back one hour tonight, which is always fine and dandy with us. 

Bill & Mary Ann

19 Pictures

Report # 49 Friday February 17, 2023 Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island, Australia At Anchor 8am-6pm Sunny And Warm 85 Degrees

 

Today's port of call found us in a unique location of Australia…….Kangaroo Island.  Located 13 km off  the coast of South Australia, Kangaroo Island is 155 km long and 55km wide.  It consists of 8 regions connected by a sealed highway.  At least 4000 square km are dedicated to National Parklands, with the remainder agricultural hubs, wine makers, wool growers,  and a eucalyptus oil distillery.  Some of the rarest honey is created here with special Ligurian bees, seen nowhere else in the world.  Sadly, there was a devastating fire in 2020, where many of the eucalyptus trees were destroyed.  It was these trees that the bees fed on the blossoms.  They expect it to take 7 years for the forests to re-generate.  On our first visit here many years ago, we took a tour to see each of these industries.  It also included a dairy stop at the time. 

Each region has something to offer such as beaches, sea lions, giant rock formations, rivers, and even snorkeling the cool waters.   Hiking is king here as well.  Fishing can be done through local tour guides.  Speaking of tours, some of them offered today were an island tour in a day for $210,  koalas, birds, and nature for $240, seal bay for $130, an ocean safari for $210, or the one we did….tempting taste of honey, eucalyptus oil distillery, and a stop at a lavender and dairy farm for $200.  

Ferries come here from Cape Jarvis, south of Adelaide and the ride takes about 45 minutes.  They drop locals off at the town Penneshaw, located on the north tip of Penneshaw and Dudley Peninsula,  where our tender boats took the guests today.  We waited until the tours were off and the tickets were no longer required. That was 9:10am.  By 9:30am, the boats were not crowded, and that's the way we prefer it.  The ride was smooth as we entered Hog Bay and the ferry terminal.  We were greeted by local information girls, who handed us a map of this region.  Even though we have been here before, we were not sure where the trail began for the hike up to Baudin Conservation Park.  She pointed to the road, said to turn left, and follow the signs.  She also added that the hike would be 90 minutes one way.  We sort of remembered that.  It is worth mentioning that the day had begun rather gray and cool, but later on, the clouds left and the sun came out.  Lucky for everyone.

We passed by Penneshaw Beach walking on Frenchman's Terrace, one of main roads.  The sculpture trail was across the road,  a 1.5 km walking trail with scenic lookouts, old vegetation, and ravine walls.  It is possible there were a few roaming kangaroos there too.  We had done this short hike several years ago, but did not need to repeat it.   Our destination was Ironstone Hill where we could see spectacular coastal views as well as freeing-ranging kangaroos.  These kangaroos are unique to the island and are smaller and darker than the Western Greys.  There is another type of wallaby here named Tammar which are about extinct everywhere else but here.  We knew if we were quiet and looked deeply into the trees and brush, we may have a chance to see some.

Not many guests from the ship attempted this hike, as it is steep and seems to go on forever.  As we began to gain altitude, we had terrific views of the shoreline below the cliffs.  The water was several shades of green to turquoise – blue.  It was here that we first spotted some pods of dolphins, lazily making their way along the sunken boulders.  We could hear them blowing and making noises even as high up as we were.  Considering the sighting, we felt we may be as lucky to see some of the roos and wallabies.  As we got deeper into the wildlands, we did spot some wallabies and got many pictures of them as they were grazing under the trees.  Keeping in the brush and branches, they did not seem alarmed, as they are used to hikers up here.  The better time to see many of them would be at dawn and dusk, when the day is cooler.  

Other animals on this island are echidnas, platypus, goannas, snakes, and glossy black cockatoos.  The only birds we spotted here were some large gulls, and some Australian magpies.   The koalas are found in the eucalyptus trees, but there are none on this part of the island.  We heard that many of them perished in the fire as they were too slow to escape the flames and smoke.  The Australian sea lions and long-nose fur seals are on the opposite end of the island, so we did not see any of these.

We walked up steep slopes and down to rocky ravines until we thought our legs may fall off…. Well maybe one of us.  No benches up here.  Eventually we reached the summit where a man named Bates had a family farm back in the 1800's.  It must have been a tough life to survive the elements and farm the slopes of the mountain top.   We believe he raised sheep, and the remains of his cabin are still here, along with a well and farm equipment left to rust over time.   It is all part of the park these days.   Sitting on some rocks, we talked to some other folks that had made their way here.  One younger couple told us this was their first world cruise, and found that some of the passengers were "cliquey", sticking to their own groups.   That's funny, as we told them that's how we felt several years ago.  But in time, we got to know some of these repeat guests and have been friends like forever.  They were feeling intimidated if they dined with anyone that was a 4 star Mariner.   Anyway, it was interesting to listen to their take on this cruise so far.  It seems that they had the same concerns we have as far as changes over the years, since they had gone on many short trips.  They confessed they have not been overly-impressed with the food so far.  Many of us have said the same thing.  Other than that, they are happy campers and consider themselves lucky to be on a long cruise after the Covid virus hit.  So are we…..

We began the descent downhill, and ran into Chantall and a group of crew from the ship.  They had also taken this hike.  On the way back, Chantall offered to take our photos together, and we said yes, thanks.  She snapped a good one with the ship in the backround.  Needless to say, they continued back ahead of us, and made much better time.  That's youth for you.  One of us was being most careful coming down the steep dirt trail.  One slip, and the cruise could be over.  While we are on the subject, last night we were due to leave the port by 10:30pm.  However, we were still tied up after 11pm.  It seems that two guests had to be taken off in ambulances.  Why that late, we do not know.  Eventually we may hear the story through the grapevine.

Back to the town, we ran across Greg who sat with us for a bit at a picnic table.  Heo is still not feeling 100%, so he went back to the ship after their private tour.  Greg pointed out the restaurant and pub area, and that's where we headed next.  The nicest venue we saw was the Penneshaw Hotel with a restaurant and pub.  Since it was after 2pm by now, we had to place our lunch order before the kitchen closed at 2:30pm.  We took seats on the outside patio with views that overlooked the ocean.  Beers were the first thing we needed, and they had a draft called Bounty Bay.  We had to get our drinks and pay for them at the bar, then order our food, and it would be delivered to our table.  The best sandwich to split was their burger with fries.  Very good, we may add, with the addition of a beetroot jam.  Greg says that is typical Australian.  After two more beers, we went back to the tender landing, and got the next boat back to the ship.  Exhausted after a 6 hour day, we relaxed gladly in our room and veranda.  The ship left after 6pm.

Dinner time found Heo missing once again.  He has developed a nagging cough…not bad, but it would make him uncomfortable at be at dinner.  Dinner choices were odd, but seemed OK until we found the salmon under-cooked, and the buttermilk fried chicken over-cooked and warm…not hot.  Barb usually loves the KFC chicken, but left most of it on her plate.  Good thing they had a dessert she liked.  Oscar, the new assistant maitre'd, came by to check on us all.  We had a nice conversation with him, since he remembers much of who and what we all know over the years.  He is one of the good guys.

Jim Short was the comedian on the stage tonight, and Greg said he was truly funny.  It is possible he was on our N. Statendam cruise last year, as well as the Tales in the fall.  The better news was the clocks were set back ½ hour to make the full hour now.  We will take it no matter what the increment.

Bill & Mary Ann

288 Pictures

Report #48 Thursday February 16, 2023 Adelaide, South Australia Day #2 Docked Till 10:30pm Hot And Partly Cloudy 100 Degrees

 

We did not think it could be hotter outside, but today it was 100 degrees at 11am on our veranda.  What a day to pick a surprise drill for the crew members, because even at 9:15am, the thermometer was already well on the way to the century mark. 

After breakfast, we had a message in our mail slot that today's mandatory muster station drill had been cancelled.  It was to take place between 3 and 5pm, although many of the guests would be on tours or in town.  It was written on the notice that this drill had to be done every 30 days, but we just did this in Sydney.  So why again, we don't know.  As far as we know, only a handful of guests boarded today, and it stands to reason only those few should have a private muster drill.  The next mandatory drill will be in Fremantle on February 22^nd.   That's soon enough for us.

We learned last night that one of our mutual friends has come down with Covid.  His wife has tested negative although.  He has been isolated in another veranda room, while his wife was allowed to stay in their suite.  Just from listening to people coughing, we believe there are more positive people than they know. Mandatory testing for the guests has stopped for the time being, unless you are feeling unwell and want to be tested.  According to Presty, the crew has passed all tests.  Great news.  Presty added that there will be a total of four guests disembarked for other medical conditions between here and Fremantle.  Much goes on behind the scenes that we don't always know about.

We stayed onboard the ship until 11am, when most all of the tour groups went off.  We had no inclination to go to downtown Adelaide, especially with today's heat.  Shopping is not on our itinerary unless it is grocery shopping.   And we are stocked up in that department.  So we took a walk under the shade of the mature pines and eucalyptus trees on Lady Gowrie Drive which led us to North Haven.  There is a small but nice community of seaside condos and houses that face the gulf in this part of the suburbs.  On the way, we passed by the golf course cross from the cruise ship terminal.  We had spotted some golfers early in the morning, but now, the groundskeepers were watering the greens and it appeared closed for the day.

There are some special birds here called spinifex pigeons.  They are quite unique with a crested spiral of feathers on their heads, resembling our California quail, but bigger.  They stay on the ground in sandy, grassy areas, and are named after the grasses they prefer – spinifex grass.  This is where they will lay eggs.  The birds we saw today were fearless, and posed for some photos as they dug for seeds.  We looked for some rosellas, the pretty little parrots, but saw none.  The eucalyptus are beginning to bloom, and we know that attracts the parrots.  Perhaps the heat of the day kept most birds grounded and in the deep shade.  Smart birds.

After passing a few streets that went to the homes, we came across Gulf Point Centre and North Haven, which is located 20 km from downtown Adelaide.  There is a beautiful marina here, with some nice eateries along the waterside.  It has grown since the last time we were here, which may have been 5 years ago.  At that time we went to an Italian restaurant called Abracci, but it was not here despite the fact that the website was showing it was.  We walked the harbor which compared to a small version of Cabo San Lucas.   Only better with no vendors or big bars like Senor Frog's.  No this is a laid- back casual marina where the locals go for good food and conversation. 

The restaurant had changed names and was now Palermo Ristorante. It is still serving Italian cuisine by the same owners, and still had many varieties of pizza.  Perfect.  We went inside and sat at a table for two.  Within minutes we had Peroni beers in chilled glasses.  We ordered the 15 inch Hawaiian pizza , and was bigger than we thought it would be.  Of course, family-size was the clue.  Guess what?  We cleaned our plates it was so good.  Needing some more hydration, we had another beer.  One for the road right?  Oh yeah, we had brought the Kindle for updating.  We did make an attempt to log onto the free WIFI while on the ship, but could not get it to work.  Our waiter said he could hook us up on their internet, so with his quick and magic thumbs, the young fellow logged us onto their website, and we were able to download everything needed to continue. 

We took our time walking back, taking some time to look for the birds.   Only a few were out and about.  One thing for sure, there were no other people walking out here today. On the way back, we wanted to see how the tickets were purchased at this railway station.  But we found the building closed.  Once back in the terminal, we asked the info lady how that worked.  She said unless we were on a huge ship, there is no agent at this station.  You board the train, and pay for a ticket on the other end.  Greg had mentioned that an all- day pass was $10.  That would get you to the central business area where the buses and trams are free.   Similar to what we found in Melbourne.   Good deal.

It was heaven relaxing in the air-conditioning of our room until dinnertime.  It was also a good time to read up on tomorrow's port of Kangaroo Island.  One good thing will be a change in the temperature…. Cooler, we hope.

Dinner time found one less tablemate present….Heo.  After two days in Adelaide, he was feeling a bit under the weather, so decided to skip dinner.  Best safe than sorry, and hopefully he will be fine tomorrow.  Greg caught us up on two days worth of their explorations.  Being Australian, they know these cities quite well.   Barb had gone off with friends Ellen and Aart to the Botanic Garden and lunch, which was really nice for all of them, especially Barb.   She seldom leaves the ship.

There was shrimp on the barbie for appetizers at dinner.  And Barb took credit for cooking them, of course.  One of us had the tortellini entrée, keeping it light after that huge pizza.  The other good meal was the fish….barramundi again.  No bones.  Scallops were served in a much different form, and the beef bourgeon was another huge portion.  Desserts were chocolate cake and fruit crisps. 

The entertainment tonight was provided by a local Aussie group with folk music and poetry.  Greg had peeked into the World Stage after 7pm,  and said it was packed.  These venues are always popular.

Bill & Mary Ann 

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Report #47 Wednesday February 15, 2023 Day #1 Adelaide, Australia Arrival At 2pm Overnight-Docked Sunny And Hot 95 Degrees

Our day began as a sea day but became a port day when we arrived to Adelaide, Australia at 2pm.  It was hard to believe how much the temperature had gone up the closer we got to land.  The Captain had said to expect high temperatures, but we did not believe that might be over 90 degrees.  One good thing was that the humidity was low, much like what we have at home in California, so the 90's did not scare us.

When we were about an hour away from the pier, we began seeing more and more birds, as well as some very lazy dolphins.  They were quite far away, so filming was impossible.  This entire area is known for its dolphin and whale sightings.  Close to the harbor is a bird sanctuary for mostly migratory birds, so we would be in for a treat when we finally docked.  On sand bars, we did spot flocks of Australian pelicans, small gulls, oystercatchers, guillemots, and the always present ibis.

Entering the basin, the ship was turned around and we pulled alongside the dock and the Adelaide Cruise Terminal.  This gave the port side passengers a great view of the city and the Outer Harbor Railway Station right across the road.  This connects the port area with downtown Adelaide, a 40- minute ride, with tickets sold from vending machines in the station.  For those who booked tours, there was only one sold today…. Adelaide Highlights for $70.  Among the excursions offered tomorrow are a wildlife tour for $250, best of Adelaide for $170, wine tasting in the Barossa Valley for $200 and a drive to Hahndorf for $90 or Cleland Wildlife Park for $100.  We have done several of these tours, and recommend most all of them, especially Hahndorf, the German settlement that reminded us of Carmel, California.

Because we had a bird's eye view of the gangway from our veranda, we stayed onboard and watched the tour groups go off.  Also, much of the crowd was headed to the train for the ride to town.  The ship is overnighting here so there was no need to be back early.  All aboard will be 10:30pm tomorrow.  There was also a local group of greeters, which included a kangaroo mascot.  That costume must have been stifling today.  A local band played Aussie music which included Waltzing Matilda of course.  They entertained the disembarking guests until 3:30pm, and all of us that watched from our verandas.  

Going off at 4pm, we found a ton of information in the form of maps, brochures, and even local docents who gave excellent directions.  We cannot say enough about the hospitality of the Australian people….everywhere we have gone so far.  One of the agents even pointed out a brochure we might like that was all about Kangaroo Island.  Seems they knew we were headed there in a few days. 

This afternoon we decided to take a slow hike to the sand dunes along the coastline directly across from the dock.  There are park grounds with benches and signage all about dolphins in the area.  Huge jagged-cut rocks line the water's edge and benches are set to watch the basin directly in front of us.  One bad thing is that there is no shade.  The metal benches would not be usable this afternoon.  This area is the beginning of a stretch of beaches for 8 ½ km.  We only got to the first beach where some locals were swimming.  This area is known as Gulf St. Vincent. It was so warm we decided to turn back, since we will explore further tomorrow.  Doubt we will take the train into town because we have explored there extensively on past world cruises.  We shall stay local and probably end up at North Haven, a quaint marina with some shops and restaurants.

Greg and Heo had gone to town, and must have decided to stay there for dinner.  So there were only five of us, with many surrounding tables empty.  We love it that way, because it is not noisy to the point where we cannot hear each other talking.  We all have come to the conclusion that the food so far on this trip has not been living up to our expectations.  Perhaps it is due to the fact that many entrees are repeated far too often, and the quality of some of these mains are not up to par.  It has been a challenge to mix and match an entrée to make it customized.  Lucky for us, we have a very co-operative waiter.  Then we keep our fingers crossed that not too much salt had been used, or some meals are under-seasoned.  We have never had this problem before, but there may be new cooks onboard.  One thing remains a constant, and that is dessert….something most all of us look forward to. 

The entertainment this evening was a documentary film in the World Stage, which our tablemates feel is the same as a black-out night. 

Wonder if tomorrow will be as hot as today?  We shall find out soon……

Bill & Mary Ann

101 Pictures

Report #46 Tuesday February 14, 2023 Valentines Day , Sea Day Enroute To Adelaide, South Australia, Australi Cloudy And Cool 62 Degrees A Large Rolling Swell

 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL!

We woke up to overcast skies, rolling seas, and wind as we sailed around the south end of Tasmania.  This seems to be the norm in this part of Australia.  The weather slowly improved as the day advanced.

Our breakfast waiters Andri and Danu greeted us with "Happy Valentine's Day"  as we walked into the restaurant.  This holiday has arrived so quickly, it is hard to believe that we have been on the ship since January 3^rd.  When we went back to our room, we were given a single red rose bud and a box of Jacques Torres Chocolates or bon-bons made with real champagne.  It was a nice gift, but we seem to recall we always got two of them.  One for each of us.  We sort of expected this would follow suit since we only got one holiday gift for President's Club before we left home…..not two.  We will enjoy the bon-bons and follow the instructions on the card that came with them….Life is short. Eat dessert first.  We also had a cute Valentine's Day card from our Signature hosts Luisa and Gene.  

We had a brisk walk on the promenade deck at noontime.  It was still cloudy and windy but did make us walk faster.  Very few people were outside, not even on the lounges.  Looking for any sign of birds seemed futile.  We may have spotted one or two shearwaters, but they are difficult to follow.  It has been a disappointment not seeing many gannets or albatross on this trip. 

The rest of the day we worked on the computer until the sun finally appeared on our side of the ship.  We are now heading northwest, and did get some warm rays of the sun by 5pm.  Lining up the lounge chairs on the veranda, we relaxed outside until it was time for another walk.  This time our hike included getting wet from the deck fellows hosing the lifeboats and rafts. 

They did stop long enough for the few of us that were outside, even for the man who was dressed in his suit for dinner. 

Since it was a special day, the dress code was actually formal for dinner.  All of us showed up dressed with something red or pink for the occasion.  Barb was really disappointed that we did not get an officer as a guest for our table, although we really don't care one way or another.  When Presty, our dining room maitre'd came by, Barb asked for wine for our table, since we were not hosted.  Without questioning anything, he said yes, and white and red wines appeared within minutes, served by Oscar.  Three of us could have had sodas we guess, but all of us passed with a "thanks" anyway.   Leave it to Barb….she is not shy.

We all ordered starters of either crab rolls or tomato soup and salad.  Greg and Heo both added the lobster dip, but when it arrived, there were no chips.  Our waiter was nowhere to be seen, so the guys ate the dip with their forks because it was served hot.  About 10 minutes later, a bowl of tortilla chips arrived without an apology.  Oh well, they snacked on the chips until their entrees came.   Filet mignon and lobster was one of the mains.  If you ordered more than one, there was a $7.50 charge added to your account.  Never thought we would see that day come when extra charges were applied to a dining room meal.  Many other middle of the pack cruise lines started this years ago, so it was only a matter of time when things would change here.  The kingfish plate was excellent as was the fusilli pasta with sliced chicken breast.  Desserts were two types of chocolate cakes, everyday fruit crisp, and pear strudel.  Oh yeah, and the fruit plate….always available. 

A romantic evening of music and joy was promised in the Crow's Nest and Love Lounge? deck 2.  It would also have a chocolate surprise, as if we needed more sweets.

The clocks went back ½ hour tonight to put us on the correct time for Adelaide tomorrow.  It is one of those few places in the world that has that ½ hour difference.  This will be our second time doing that with the first one in the Marquesas.  Gosh that seems like forever ago…..

Bill & Mary Ann 

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