Report #7 Tuesday January 8, 2026 Sea Day #2 Of 3 Enroute To Bridgetown, Barbados---Partly Cloudy With Showers---79 Degrees, 20mph Winds, 5' Swell-----Dressy Dress

It was breakfast as usual, except this morning the doors to the Pinnacle were shut until 8am sharp.  Tina always did that on the Zuiderdam and the Amsterdam.  It was a "de ja vu" moment when we saw the Florida couple we know waiting outside the door to be first in line.  We have claimed our favorite tables as long as we arrive first.   Good food and even faster service today.

 

Passing by the Captain's Corner Shop on deck four, it suddenly occurred to one of us that a vest had been sent to the laundry yesterday with a special HAL Captain's pin still in the lapel.  Oh no….. it had already come back the same day, and the pin was gone.  As long as we were here, one of us inquired about the loss and perhaps it might be in the lost and found box at the Front Desk.   Nope, not there, but the sweet girl called housekeeping and described the pin to them.  Then she handed the phone to me, and I described it.  The fellow said to hold on the line, and he would go check.   Nope, not there, but they would take the time to check the machines.    Guess what?  They did find it and brought it straight to our room.  That sure made our day since the collector pin was a gift (one of two) from Hotel Director Leonie, who we met while on the Zaandam last fall.  We had admired the pin in the shape of a captain's hat when we saw a medical officer lady wearing one.  Later that day, Leonie brought two of them to our room.  They must be one of the original designs since we have not seen them being sold on the ships anymore.   Lucky they found it in one piece.  

 

The rest of the day was dedicated to completing the room set-up.  That began with a thick foam mattress pad we had shipped from home.  Once free from the duffel, it opened up fully and we added it to the bed on top of their egg crate.   Our kind room attendants put the bed back together for us.  We are looking forward to sleeping much better tonight.

 

Next came hanging the shirts on the felt hangers and lining some of the walls with them.  Our Picadilly Circus is back.  It became apparent that we needed more drawer space, so we asked for two more sets.    With three of these, we had ample room for all of it. 

 

In the meantime, we had several fellows come to check the wet carpet outside the bathroom.   With a quick look, they had no answer as to where the water came from.  The plumber brought a heater/dehumidifier to help dry out the carpet, which was noisy as heck.  Then another carpenter came to fix door handles, and another bringing our laundry.   Later in the day, an attempt to deliver the remainder of our sodas almost happened, but they brought diet Coke instead of Coke Zero.  We prefer Zero, and they shorted us 4 anyway.  We asked him to bring the cans tomorrow. 

 

It was so busy, we forgot to go to lunch again. We did have an invite for a complimentary wine tasting at 1:30pm, but we don't drink wine, so we never go anymore.   Nice to be invited however.  With some peanuts and sodas, we were fine until dinnertime.  By 6pm, we were finally finished and everything got stashed away.   We even added a small 12 pocket mini shoe bag in the bathroom hung from the ceiling with strong magnets.  It will help keep small things off of the counter and the shelves.  

 

Having a pre-dinner cocktail was more important to us than attending the crowded Captain's Welcome in the World Stage at 7pm.  It lasted about ½ hour, but we have been there and done that. 

 

Dinner was "dressy" tonight and the majority of folks followed the suggestion.    The menu was good with shrimp cocktail appetizers, a tiny Caesar salad for each of us, and rack of lamb.  It was cooked the way we like it – medium.  And hold the mint jelly as we never use it.  Our meal was accompanied by the string orchestra, and it added an elegance to the dining experience.  Our waiter mentioned that this type of music never happens except on a world voyage.  However, we had to politely correct him because we had live music on dressy nights while on the Tales of the South Pacific last fall.   He did not know that.   By 9pm, many guests were on their way to see the show of the MidAtlantic Men, a singing group with vocals and high-flying fun.   Not sure what that means, but we were ready to turn in and missed the show.     Oh well.

 

One more day at sea, and we will be in our first port of Barbados.  Back in our room, we were greeted by the first towel animal, an elephant we think.  There were gifts….two World Cruise canvas tote bags, and two valet trays for the desk.  Tiny small boxes had gold-covered chocolates with a note saying:  "To travel is to live"  Hans Christian Andersen.   Many happy adventures from the Captain and crew.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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Report #6 Monday January 5, 2026 Sea Day #1 Of 3 Enroute To Bridgetown, Barbados-----Cloudy With Sprinkles....75 Degrees....23mph Winds----Rough---Casual Dress

On our way to breakfast, we passed by the Front Desk, and lo and behold, Kuz, a familiar assistant head housekeeper appeared to welcome us onboard.  We have known him as Shiv's right-hand man for many years, and we so happy that he remembered us.  His office is on deck 3, and we frequently visited the fellows while on the Amsterdam as their door was always opened.  Great guys.

 

The Pinnacle Grill was opened for breakfast at 8am this morning, a day at sea.  This venue for the Neptune folks and President's Club members will follow the opening times of the main dining room.  On port days, breakfast will be at 7:30am.  Easy to remember, although today there were some diners coming in right before they closed at 9:30am.    The manager here is Lelik (not quite sure of the spelling) and new to us.  We have yet to meet his team of waiters, but they will get to know us as we try not to miss a morning in this fine eatery.   Truthfully, the menu is the same as in the dining room, but we are entitled to complimentary fresh-squeezed orange juice, a mimosa, and cappuccino, Americano, or latte coffees.  Service was a bit slow, but we were in no hurry to go  anywhere.  The food was good and the coffee hot.  Perfect.  And we are seeing more folks we know, like a couple that joined the last segment of the world cruise last year.   We always lined up at the Pinnacle breakfast before the doors were opened on the Zuiderdam, getting to know each other by chatting every morning.  Small world.  

 

Our big project for the day was unpacking – not a little chore either.  It did take 5 weeks of packing a little bit every day before we left for Florida, so it added up.  The job took all day with one break and we're still not done.  Compared to the Signature Suites on the Zuiderdam, the Vista suites (deck 6) have far less room for storage.  We do know that it will work, since we have stayed in Vista suites many times on the Amsterdam as well as on this ship.  Back in the "old" days (2007), we were allowed unlimited luggage shipping, so we sent a total of 22 pieces.  Not all of them were large, but 22?  We never thought about where our things were going to go. So a lot of the clothing had to stay in the suitcases under the bed to be cycled into the mix as the cruise advanced.  As the years went by, we got smarter with the amount of stuff we brought.   More or less…..

 

With the addition of a portable set of stacked drawers, we figured one would be enough.  Nope, it would take two more if they are still available.  Also, the wire hangers that had been left for us disappeared when our room stewards replaced them with the felt hanger.  We would need more of the felt ones too.  They have been coming in bundles of 10 and 20 and appear to be brand new.   By 11am, we had our things stacked high, and decided it was breaktime.

 

We had been invited to a welcome reception for President's Club members and 3 and 4 star guests held in the Crow's Nest at 11:30am to 12:15pm.  The Captain and some of his officers were in the receiving line as usual, however Kumar, our leader directed us to the reserved seating where we got stuck with strangers.  Normally we stick around the bar, but the seas were rough today and one of us had to sit down.   We have to mention that there was enough motion with the ocean, that one of us felt queasy by the late afternoon.  Could be that we got so busy, we never thought about lunch…..we had some snacks and sodas instead.  And a few mimosas and peanuts at the reception.  The Captain had left to do his noon update, so we missed most of what he said.  All we heard was swells and wind along with rain showers all the way to Bridgetown, Barbados.   Although the temperature said 75 degrees, we think it was far less with the wind factor.

 

Out of the blue, a very nice lady officer strolled over our way.  She was Jonah, the event planner from the Nieuw Statendam back in 2022.  What a wonderful surprise that she has been promoted to Front Desk Manager and will sail with us for the entire trip.   Back on that cruise, she took great care of us when we had to be quarantined in Ft. Lauderdale due to Covid for one of our 11-day Caribbean runs.  She is one of a kind, and we never forgot her help back then.  We look forward to seeing her for the duration now.   

 

Back to the salt mines (our room), we made more progress with many breaks on our cool and windy veranda.  At 4pm, there was a block party where all the guests come out in the hallway and share a toast with complimentary sparkling wine with a chance to see either the Captain or Glenn the hotel manager greeting everyone present.  We would have popped out to visit our neighbors, but the seasickness prevailed, so we stayed inside working.  There will be more for the major segments of which there are 12 of them, according to Kumar.  He also said there are a total of 1050 passengers now with 28 of those being in the President's Club.   More will be inducted along the way we understand. 

 

There were the usual suspects of activities happening all day.  How well they were attended is a mystery to us,  as we suspect most of the full cruise passengers were unpacking like us.  Dinner time arrived at 7:30pm, and we headed off to the dining room on deck 5.  There were more people in here this evening as we expected.  One of us ordered one bowl of their room service chicken noodle soup, which came full of carrots, celery, and chicken chunks.  No noodles though, but spaghetti was used.  I will learn to deal with it by cutting the spaghetti small with my knife.

 

One of us ordered the shrimp cocktail and the other had one arancini with a Spanish type sauce.  Mains were pork belly and parmesan-coated chicken with honey mustard.   It was so large of a portion, only half of it could be consumed.   Saved a bit of room for a dessert of sliced pineapple and one rice pudding.  Our waiters have been very attentive and quick to serve our food.  Works for us. 

 

There was a show in the World Stage with a singer by the name of Chloe Lowery who performed timeless songs and iconic hits.  Have to admit that like the dining room, it was rather chilly in there.   No wonder many folks were wearing sweaters and jackets. 

 

Back in our room, we had a notice to put the clocks AHEAD one hour (hate when that happens) and two boxed gifts of Marie Stella Maris body wash, body lotion and body scrub, all travel sized.  This is the brand of toiletries that are used in the  Neptune suites we think.  We have also been receiving the fancy Lindt Lindor pillow chocolates also….only the best.    

 

One more day of room organizing, and we should be set.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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Report #5 Sunday January 4, 2026.....Embarkation Day...... Boarding The Volendam At Terminal 19 Around 11:30am In Fort Lauderdale, Florida---Sailaway Around 11pm….Lite Rain....Clearing To Sun---Casual Dress

Well the day has arrived that we board the ship.  This would have been the morning to sleep in later, but it was not in the cards.   If we wanted to have breakfast at Joe's Cafe, we needed to go early around 7:30am.  This was our third visit, so when we walked in, they said to sit anywhere we wish.  By the way, upon leaving the hotel, we saw the start of a pretty rainbow.   That meant rain was close by.  Just as we reached the café, it started to sprinkle enough to get the streets wet.  Lucky for us, it did not last very long or come down heavily as it can in this part of the world.     Anyway breakfast was very good once again. 

 

Back at the hotel, the lobby was jumping with other groups heading out to some of the ships in port.  This is always a problem when it comes to getting an elevator down to the lobby.   There are only two medium-size elevators, and they fill quickly with guests with luggage.  We had been given the option of having our one duffel picked up by the hotel's porter at 8:30am.  However, we did not have the time or energy last night to re-pack the bag.  So after we crammed everything we could in the bag this morning , we brought it down to an empty convention hall where our agents were set up.   These pieces of luggage will be taken to the ship where we can either haul them onboard ourselves, or let the porters bring them onboard.  It would have to go through the xray, so we let them take it and do the lifting.

 

We had been requested to meet in the lobby to board a bus to take us directly to the pier. One of us checked out at the hotel, getting our receipt for the extra nights we spent, while Bill got stuck in a slow-moving elevator.   Tom had gotten special permission to board his group ahead of time.  At least that was the plan.  The fifteen- minute drive ended up taking up to an hour, because our driver took a right turn heading the wrong way.  There were signs posted along the way, so we figured the area was cordoned off.  It was not, but with a U-turn, we got back to Eisenhower Road and the right way to the pier.  This time we were at Pier 19, because the Eurodam took our usual spot at Pier 26.   

 

Once at the entrance to the terminal, we searched for the proper door to enter for the President's Club members.  There was no sign for any level of Mariner folks, except for the high-end suites perhaps.  There were two lines, but we were directed to what looked shorter with no priority.  Naturally, this line was the slowest.  As the wait became longer and longer, we inquired about the lack of hierarchy.  With that, we showed one of the shoreside staffers our boarding passes and he opened the barrier and let us pass through to the photo kiosk, boarding pass, passport, and visa check.  We were required to produce copies of our Brazil, New Zealand, and Australia visas.  Good thing we had printed them out at home, because usually we are not asked for proof of these.   There was no mention of yellow fever proof, which we did have with us.   The copies of my visas were given back to me, while Bill's was kept and marked with our room number.  Why….we did not know.

 

From there, we went to the check-in desk and were cleared for boarding after another photo was taken.  One of the agents escorted us to the gangway, although we knew the way.  We'll take all of the help they are willing to give.  With the boarding passes in hand, we cleared the security kiosk, and ran right into Kumar, our Mariner rep onboard.  While on the last fall cruise, we got to know him quite well, and he was a big help with some problems we encountered.  He informed us that our room was ready and the keys would be in the mail slot. 

 

The Volendam is a sister ship to the Zaandam, so it was easy locating our room which was very close to our fall Zaandam room on deck six.  Portside and forward near the elevators worked well for us on our last 77 -day trip.  A bottle of sparkling wine was there along with a platter of fresh fruit slices and some fancy chocolate candies.  That would turn out to be our lunch today.   Only 16 Diet Cokes had been delivered, but they still owed us 24 more….Coke Zeros we hope.   Later in the day, we had a small vase of flowers brought, complimentary for being President's Club members.

 

None of the luggage had arrived yet, but slowly eight were delivered.   One was missing, and we suspected it was being held in the security area.  Sure enough, we got a phone call asking us to open a duffel on deck A security area.  The culprits were two plug strips that needed inspection.  In 2 seconds, they were cleared as OK.  

 

It was getting close to the 4pm Welcome Onboard Celebration at the Seaview Pool.   But first, we needed to make a visit to our Emergency Muster Station check before 4pm, which took very little time.  Easier than doing the full muster drill.  The celebration was in full swing with The Dam Band playing on the upper deck, and the entertainment group singing and dancing.  We chatted with many familiar guests including Pete and Judy and Marty and Gail.  The bar staff did pass some picked over fruit snacks around, but there were no complimentary beverages.  There was an invitation for an exclusive reception for President's Club and 3 & 4 star guests from 6:45 to 7:30pm.  Since we were deep in rectifying some issues with our room, we missed the drink fest.    

 

There was no time for us to begin unpacking, so everything got stacked on the couch and piled against the wall.  We would wear the same clothes we did last night, which was very acceptable.  The two levels of dining rooms were about empty by 7:30pm.  Our guess was that after such a monumental day boarding, many guests went to the casual Lido for their customary welcome onboard steak dinner from 5:30 to 8pm.  Our waiters at table # 83 were Dwi and Sosilo, very nice and welcoming.  Our meals of Caesar salads, appetizers, and pork chops were delivered right away, and served just the way we like it….hot.  Desserts were one scoop of vanilla ice cream and a fruit platter.  Perfect.  We were back to our room by 9pm, missing the singing show of the MidAtlantic Men, which will be back another night for sure. 

 

Our requests of two lounge chairs, footrests and two little tables had been delivered.  A total of 50 felt hangers were left for us too.  Nice, since we thought they did not have them on this ship.   Our excellent room attendants had listened well. 

 

We were scheduled to leave the port at 10:30pm, but that did not happen until after 11pm.  We slept right through it.  What a day it had been!  Tomorrow will be unpacking day.  Oh boy………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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Report #4 Saturday January 3, 2026.....Day #3 In Fort Lauderdale, Florida......Clear Skies---76 Degrees----Travel Agents Party And Dinner Tonight!!!

Another restful night was just what we both needed.   We were awake before 7am and ready for the walk to Joe's Café by 8am.  It was far less crowded this morning compared to yesterday, even though there were 6 cruise ships here.   Breakfast was good again with generous-sized omelets, country potatoes, and toast.   Plenty of fuel to last us for the rest of the day.

 

Back at the hotel, we ran into more cruise buddies, as well as our excellent travel agents and the owner of the travel agency.    This year our most treasured agent is here with her adult daughter, who will help with the chores of the day.  We had a nice, but brief reunion before we picked up our gifts of a navy-blue vest and small shoulder bag for each of us.   If we needed them, there were keycard lanyards and luggage tags to take.  To sweeten things up, they even thought to put out a bowl of small- wrapped candy bars.  Plainly written instructions for tomorrow's transfer to the ship and luggage pick-up times were handed to all of us.  As it got busier for the agents, we said goodbye and we would see them later at dinner. 

 

We stashed our gifts in the room, then worked on yesterday's reports – posting and emailing.  The internet is very slow here, so it takes a lot of patience to get stuff received and sent. 

 

Around 12:30pm, we decided to take the hike up the bridge again.   To be more specific, the proper name for this bridge is a double leaf double bascule bridge.  Knowing the inner workings of this structure, one of us appreciates the mechanics that makes it go up and down and almost silently.   Going back down the other side, we walked to the newly rebuilt Pier Sixty-Six Hotel.  Our travel agency's owner Tom suggested we go see what had been done here over the last 5 or 6 years.  We entered the massive lobby which was spacious and elegantly beautiful.  A whole lot of money has gone into this remodel.   And it costs a lot more to stay here too.

 

We made our way to the pool area, where there was a café and bar.  Looking at their menu, we found nothing that appealed to us.  And we knew dinner was early tonight, so lunch wasn't in the plan.  Besides the hotel being re-done, there are other structures that have been built.  They call them resort condos and are currently on the market for sale.  This whole area has been transformed into a ten-star property if there is such a thing.   

 

Time was slipping by, so we walked back on the opposite side to take pictures of the cruise ships in Port Everglades.  It is amazing to us how many ships can have turn-over days here….day after day.  This industry has to be the lifeblood of the city.   Ships in port today were the Star and Majestic Princess, the Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam,  RCI Allure of the Seas, and Celebrity Eclipse.  Then for the final time, we watched the traffic stopped and the bridge rise.  We hustled back to the hotel to get ready for dinner and our group meeting at 5:15pm.   That would give us time to prop our feet up and relax before dinnertime.

 

Our entire group was down in the lobby well before 5pm.  Ready and raring to go, we followed our leader Tom to the nearby Boatyard, a popular fish and steak restaurant.  The thirty of us were seated in a private room towards the back, where we took seats with one of the agency's  hosts.  Since we were about the last ones to enter, we took a table with Martha and Bob way by the back entrance.  Pat, one of our hosts that will be traveling with us, was our guest.  Drink orders were taken, but took quite a long time to arrive.  Bob and Martha had arrived earlier, and were already on their second drinks.   Two platters arrived – one with tomato chunks and peppers drizzled with an aged balsamic vinaigrette with sliced focaccia bread.  The other plate had fried calamari with a dipping sauce.  Bill had my share – too fishy for me.   Caesar salads were brought, which were so good, they could have made our meal complete.  This restaurant makes a light type of cinnamon bread, and a loaf of that brought for us to share.  Once again there was a long wait for the entrees.  More cocktails were offered, which kept the folks busy chatting.  Eventually our steaks and mahi-mahi were served, each place filled with fingerling potatoes, carrot slices, and green beans.  The sirloin strip steaks were HUGE.    Cooked medium rare, they were tender and tasty.  We did our best to finish them, but it was difficult to come close to that.  We had to save a little bit of room for dessert, which the apple dumpling and ice cream was the suggested one.  Key lime pie was the other choice.   Stuffed to the gills, we were only 15 minutes late watching the football game between the Seahawks and the SF 49ers.   We were outnumbered with the Hawk's fans this time since our travel agency originated in Seattle.  Those who had cell phones were checking the score and watching the plays.

 

By the time we got back to the room, it was 8:30pm, and we did catch most of the game to the bitter end.   Exhaustion took over, and we were out for the count.  Tomorrow would be one of those LONG days with checking out of the hotel and heading for the ship.  But that's another story for tomorrow.  Sweet dreams….

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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Report #3......Friday January 2, 2026......Day #2 Hanging Out In Fort Lauderdale, Florida.....Sunny And Warmer....72 Degrees

Considering the wild and crazy day we had yesterday, we slept pretty well.  However from experience, we know that we will be feeling the time change sometime during the day.  But we were up and ready to head out for breakfast around 8am. 

 

Every time we stay here, we head for an old-fashioned 6am to 3pm diner called Joe's Café.  It has to be one of the busiest restaurants near Port Everglades and the numerous hotels in this area.  It is most popular with cruising families with young kids.  They even serve a kid's favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a beverage (maybe) for $6.  It was a miracle we were seated right away since the place was almost full. With lots of hot coffee and hardy breakfasts under our belts, we headed back towards the hotel with a few shopping stops along the way.  In the Harbor Shops complex, we made a pass through TJMaxx, finding a few things we needed.  Then another stop at Ross and the Dollar Tree, coming out with some useful items.  One of us could not resist buying one of Ross's over-sized tote bags with a blueberry design for the whopping price of 99 cents.  Oh what fun we have.

 

Back at the hotel, one of us wrote the rest of yesterday's blog, while the other went on a picture tour of the hotel.   One of us was feeling somewhat jet-lagged, so to fight it off, we went out for a slow hike up the top of the C. Clay Shaw Jr. Bridge on 17^th Street.  By 3pm, the weather had warmed up nicely and we changed from long jeans to shorts.  With the sun out, it must have reached the mid-70's.   Simply delightful.  Possibly the decision not to have lunch also made us a bit tired.  Having an early dinner was a better idea.  The hike did revive us.

 

One huge change we noticed right away was the near-completion of the Omni Hotel and Broward County Convention Center located at the base of the bridge.  Much to our surprise, the hotel appeared to be opened for business, judging by the limos, buses, taxis and buses picking up and dropping folks off at the grand entrance.  The majority of the landscaping was done with mature palm trees of many different varieties.  They must have cost a fortune.  Deeper into the garden area, was a fountain with a shallow pond complete with either a marlin or a sailfish sculpture.  Actually there were two sculptures…..one in the fountain/pond and another standing tall.  Closer to the waterway was another faux grassy area with paths along the water's edge.    Some fellows were fishing from there.  We project that by next year,  this huge complex will be completely finished.

 

Slowly, we climbed the bridge all the way to the middle area where there are benches.  From there, we could see the cruise ships docked in Port Everglades.  There were five of them today starting with two Celebrity vessels, the Ascent and the Reflection.  Two Royal Caribbean ships docked were Liberty of the Seas, and Radiance of the Seas.  The last one was the Disney Dream.  They were scheduled to depart between 3pm and 4pm.  It was obvious to us that they were running late.  The best part was being able to sit and watch the boat traffic in the waterway while taking in some of the warm sun.

 

Time to move on, we headed down to the bottom of the bridge, crossed the street and began the ascent up the other side.  Hopefully, we will see the bridge traffic stopped and witness the bridge going up.  We have heard that the local drivers hate to be stuck for the bridge-lifting, but it was posted that it operates on the top of the hour and the half hour.  It appeared to us that they will not lift the bridge unless there is a tall-masted vessel or huge yacht to pass under.    That was the case at 3pm where a large catamaran passed under.   For us, it is always thrilling to see the bridge sections rising up while the boat traffic passes under it.  It was also a good excuse to test the benches on this side of the road.  One thing for sure, if you like boating, this is the place to be. 

 

From this side, we would see the remodeled Pier Sixty-Six Hotel, an iconic blast from the past.  It has been under construction for several years now, and it looks close to being done.  Many more condos or time shares have been added to the property.   A couple of these condos had see-through jacuzzies on their verandas.  We made it back to the hotel by 4:30pm and decided to go to dinner at Duffy's once again.  Without having lunch, we were pretty hungry by now.  And to entice us back, Duffy's sent another $10 coupon.

 

What a difference from our first dinner here.  There were plenty of diners there, but not the loud crowd.  We enjoyed salads and a shared chicken and cheese quesadilla.  So good with sour cream, guacamole and salsa.  For a real treat, we split one fried cheesecake with ice cream and whipped cream.  The cherry was mine.  Never had fried cheesecake before, but it sure was tasty.  We were back to the hotel by 6:30pm ready for another restful night.

 

Looking forward to seeing our group leaders and several repeat world cruisers like us tomorrow morning.  The day will be ours to enjoy again, and then we meet up with our group for  dinner. If we end our dinner early by 8pm, we'll go  back to our room to watch the football game with the Seahawks and 49ers.    Should be a hum-dinger! 

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

 

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Report #2 Thursday January 1, 2026.....New Years Day.....Cool And Raining In California-----Sunny And Clear In Florida.......Travelling All Day

By the time we got to sleep last night, it was time to get up.  One of us was wondering what did we forget?  Probably nothing, but it is always enough to keep one awake.

 

It was still raining lightly when our driver picked us up at about 3:50am, as he knows we are always ready for him.   This time we were traveling lightly.  Only one duffel and hand carries were needed for our stay in Ft. Lauderdale. 

 

We arrived to the SF airport in the constant rain around 5am with little traffic.  That is rare these days, but we knew it was the best day to fly.  Terminal 2 looked very different from the last time we were here a year ago.  Everything had been re-modeled, and the kiosks used to check in were programmed different.  So we needed some help from a friendly agent who was assisting others around us.  She pretty much did the whole process and tagged our duffel to be checked in at the counter.  All of the airport workers seemed to be quite happy today, wishing all a Happy New Year.

 

The security checkpoint was the quickest we have experienced.  Even without TSA approved status, we did not have to take our shoes off, take the computer out of the case, or have the small gels in a separate baggie.  Everyone passed through the xray scanner with feet separated and arms and hands out on our sides.  Easy.

 

From here, we had a long walk to Gate E11, but no time for a sit-down breakfast.   The one nice restaurant there did not open until after 6am, and with our flight boarding at 6:45am, we knew it would not work.   So one of us went in search of snacks like Pepperidge Farm chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies.  Really healthy.  A small bag of pretzels would work too. 

 

While we were waiting for the flight to board, we noticed a small family with two little kids…perhaps 2 and 3 years old.  The boy was well-behaved, but the girl, not so much.  And there did not appear to be a whole lot of parental control. Don't get us wrong….we like kids.  But this one was an exception.  Wouldn't you know it, they sat directly across from us in the first seats in priority seating.  Since the two year old did not have a seat, she had the run of the aisle.  When the dad tried to subdue her, she screamed bloody murder.  And did not stop.  Only one of us found the ear buds to watch a movie, but more so to block the uncontrollable screaming . I recall putting mine in a baggie, but I could not find them.  However, we did enjoy the entire bag of cookies with our sodas and coffee.   It would be breakfast and lunch combined.  And these seats had a bulkhead separating us from first class.  There was plenty of legroom, and no one could drop their seat in our laps. 

 

The mostly smooth flight was actually early landing, and the best thing was seeing the sun shining with blue skies.  We made our way to the baggage pick-up carousel # 1, where none of our things were, because they  had changed the number.  After waiting and watching, we checked the roster to find it was carousel # 2.  Our duffel was last to arrive naturally.   In no big burry, we found the taxi line right outside the door and had a driver within minutes.  The ride was short and we were at the hotel shortly after 5pm.   Funny thing – the metered fare was $20, but last year, we ended up with an Uber and the fare was $50.  Hmmm?

 

There was no line at the Renaissance Hotel desk, and we were easily checked in for the next three nights.    Two nights on us, and one on our cruise company.  Our timing was perfect because we ran right into friends Martha and Bob, who will also be on the entire world cruise.  We have lots of catching up to do.   We did need to use the room card to operate the elevator, which did not always work.  They were remodeling these two elevators last year, but it appears more work needs to be done to make it right.    Within minutes, we had our few things stashed, the computer set up, then headed off for an early dinner.

 

We always walk to Duffy's Sports Bar and Grill, about a half-mile hike from the hotel.  It was about the same time as the sun was going down.   The temperature was surprisingly cooler than we remember, but who's complaining?  Normally  we expect very warm and humid temps.  The forecast for Sunday, boarding day, is calling for rain.  Hope not, but we do have a bus ride with our group and should not get wet. 

 

Dinner at Duffy's was an experience in itself.  Today was New Year's Day and a Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena with Alabama and Indiana.  We walked right into the middle of the game which was wild and crazy time for many local young fellows from here.  Lots of drinking had been happening, so it sounded like the roof was going to blow off.  Never saw anything like it ever.  Obviously, these guys were Indiana fans, who ended up winning big by the way.  We did enjoy our meal of chicken wings, salad, and a shared bacon cheeseburger with fries.     No beer, but Pepsis were best.   Since the restaurant was full of customers, our meal lasted over two hours.  But it was sure good.  We'll more than likely be back here tomorrow evening.

 

The walk back was in the dark, but the streets were full of folks doing what we were doing.  One fellow outside Duffy's asked us how we liked the food.  He continued to say he and a group of 14 were boarding a Celebrity ship tomorrow.  We added that we were on a Holland ship but did not elaborate.  People here seem to be friendlier than back home.   Or perhaps it is the booze talking?  Not us this time….them.

 

Despite the fact that the clocks said we were three hours ahead of Pacific time, both of us were exhausted.  Traveling is a hard job sometimes, but someone has to do it, right?   Until tomorrow, good evening.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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Report #1 December 31, 2025-----Final Beginnings On A Long Journey---From Northern California To Fort Lauderdale, Florida On A Very Cold And Rainy Day

A New Year And Another Adventure With Bill And Mary Ann On The Volendam For 137 Days.......Holland America's 2026 Grand World Voyage.....1/1/26 - 5/18/26

 

Well, here we are again…getting ready for another long voyage on the high seas.  It will be a different experience for us, since the itinerary does not take us around the world this time.  It is possible that with the Suez Canal being closed to cruise ships, the options to be in that part of the world would have to include Africa and back to the Mediterranean.    That was 2025's GWV, so the company decided to head down the east coast of South America to Antarctica.  Then around the fjords to Chile.  From there, we will head to Easter Island, French Polynesia, and down to New Zealand.  Several ports in Australia will be enjoyed, then we head to Bali, Komodo, and Singapore.  That is as far west as we go.  Hong Kong is next with stops in Vietnam and Taiwan.  Japan has many ports, followed by an easterly trek to Alaska with a few stops there.  Seattle and San Diego follow before we head south to Mexico.  Continuing down the coast, we stop in a couple of Central America ports, and finally through the Panama Canal.   The trip will end where we began…in Ft. Lauderdale. 

 

Packing was challenging for this trip since we will have warm weather, then freezing temperatures in Antarctica.   It will warm up again on our way to Easter Island and all the way to Singapore.  Japan will be cool and Alaska will be really cool.  By the time we reach San Diego, we expect nicer warm weather all the way to Florida.   What we do not need in the way of clothes, will be stored in the duffels under the bed.  We do have a Vista suite, which has a veranda, but they are nowhere near the size of the Signature suites on the Zuiderdam.    Bringing less has never worked well with either of us.  Thank goodness for magnetic hooks and dowels which we use to hang many shirts and blouses.   A true Picadilly Circus and we love it.

 

Today was supposed to be easy with the majority of our luggage already delivered to Ft. Lauderdale.  We only have one duffel we are bringing with us for our three- day stay in the hotel which is close to Port Everglades.  It took all day to wrap up loose ends, but all is done and we need to get some rest before the alarm goes off at 2:30am. 

 

We shall be in touch soon after we are settled.  In the meantime, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!

 

Stay tuned……

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

17 Pictures