Report #6 Sunday, September 6, 2026---Glacier Bay National Park---6:15am-3:30pm---Scenic Cruising All Day----Overcast---55 Degrees----82% Humidity----3mph Winds----Casual With A Splash Of Orange

There are some interesting and impressive facts about Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve, our destination for scenic cruising today.  Glacier Bay is the largest national park in Southeast Alaska and the world's largest protected marine sanctuary.   Of course it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a whopping 3.3 million acres, making it bigger than the state of Connecticut.  Like we said.....impressive.  

 

There are over 1000 glaciers in the park, however, only a dozen or so are tidewater glaciers that reach the bay.   The scenery is stunning with snow and ice-capped mountains, ocean coastlines, deep fjords up to 800 feet in depth, and freshwater rivers and lakes.  We were in for a treat with today's wildlife sightings.  A word of warning came in today's newsletter stating:  Do not feed the wildlife as it is strictly prohibited and dangerous to the health of the sea birds in particular.  And please do not throw anything overboard.

 

By the time the park rangers boarded the ship from Bartlett Cove at 6:15am, the temperature was a chilly 50 degrees, overcast, with a slight wind of 3 mph.  The humidity was 82% and there was no sign of rain, just some lingering fog up high over the ridges.   The rangers set up "camp" in the Crow's Nest and were ready for their narration by 8am.  Usually we go to breakfast , which was 8am in the Pinnacle, but we did not do that this morning because we did not want to miss passing by Gloomy Knob.   Sometime around 8am, the Zaandam approached this hunk of granite rock with an elevation of 1331 feet.  What we were searching for were the mountain goats that inhabit his area.  The ranger was on the lookout from the bridge and pointed out what most folks would not see clearly without binoculars or a powerful camera lens.  Having been past this spot many times over the years, we know where they tend to hang out.  Appearing as a grain of rice, we did snap several photos of these creatures as they grazed or sat on the edges of the rocks.  

 

Then came a big surprise with the sighting of a black bear that was spotted by the ranger.  He delivered a very detailed description of where to look for the bear, and we did see it rather easily on the sandy beach of a dry river outlet.  Now here's the funny thing......we did not realize at the time of filming the bear, we actually got photos of another larger Grizzley bear up higher in the thicket that the ranger had not seen.   We may have spotted some bears near this area several years ago, so this sighting was the icing on the cake.  Doing some research, we learned that the smaller black bear could weigh  up to 300 pounds, while the Grizzley can top off at 1000 pounds.  No wonder the smaller bear looked nervous.   There was another small expedition vessel that operates day tours out of the Glacier Bay Lodge.  They were able to get much closer to the shoreline. 

 

It was a good time to get some breakfast, but arriving later than usual, we had lost "our" table, which did not surprise us.  We do not expect the staff to save it for us every day.  The service was just as good sitting at the large table under the dark still life painting.      

 

The ship continued up the bay to reach Margerie Glacier around 9:45am.  It is one of the larger tidal glaciers that we are able to access for an hour's visit.  The Captain held the ship for the port side viewing, then slowly turned for the starboard folks.  For those who went out on the bow and deck six forward, they got the full view for an hour.  Although we did hear some loud cracking in the ice, we never saw any calving today.    That has been the case for the last couple of years coming here.  

 

Around 10am, Dutch pea soup was served on the outside decks.  We do know that this special soup will be served at the Dutch dinner this evening, and we will save it until then.  

 

Another surprise awaited us with a quick visit to Johns Hopkins Inlet and the glacier of the same name.  There have been times when we spent more time in this inlet, but there was only enough time to duck in, then go back out.  No calving here either.

 

On the way out around Jaw Point, we passed by Lamplugh and Reid Glaciers, which were visible to the starboard people when we headed back in the bay.   We stayed bundled up until we passed Gloomy Knob once again still searching for the goat sightings.  Yes, they were still there.  During the course of the morning we also saw numerous sea otters, sea gulls, some eagles, three blue herons flying high migrating souith for the winter, and one humpback whale near Gloomy Knob.  Thinking we were seeing things, we looked up the blue heron to find out they are common to this area, and not strictly a mangrove bird.  Google's AI said they migrate south from here in September.  We did sail close enough to the Marble Islands to see the Stellar sea lions this time. 

 

After completing a few lectures in the lounges, the rangers packed up and left the ship by 3:30pm.  Naturally, we spent the remaining time enjoying the many pictures that were snapped.  Then we did order room service lunch with a shared club sandwich, an overabundance of French fries, and a full plate of cubed watermelon.   Someone must have thought we were starving to deliver 2 plates of fries, which we only ate ½ of them.  

 

There was the usual Orange Party this evening, so all the guests were asked to wear a splash of orange.  And the theme of the dinner was Dutch with casual dress suggested.  It has been a bit on the cool side in the dining room, so most everyone had sweatshirts or sweaters on along with jeans and boots.  Our meal consisted of hot Dutch pea soup, a small shrimp cocktail and one Westland salad.  Mains were Bami Goreng and hodge podge brisket like a stew.  Both very good.  Dessert was one small Lindt tulip and one tiny scoop of mint chip ice cream.   By the way, the Pinnacle had the Morimoto by Sea pop-up dinner at $55 per person plus 18% gratuity.

 

Pulong, our most friendly Maitre'd stopped by the say goodbye as he will be leaving for an overnight stay in Ketchikan, then joining the Nieuw Amsterdam the following day until December.  He will be missed.

 

There was a show tonight with singer Anita Newby.  We are sure the performances are well attended with this cruise being only 7 days.   People squeeze in every activity, which is far different on a longer voyage.   

 

We are headed for Ketchikan, the final port of this trip.  Seems like we were just there......  Yes, we were back in late April while on the world cruise.

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

 

286 Pictures

Report #5 Saturday, September 5, 2026---Skagway, Alaska---Docked Starboard Side To Pier---6:30am-8:30pm---Sunny With Clouds---57 Degrees---72% Humidity---15mph Winds----Casual Dress

Skagway, our port of call for today, is home to 1200 hearty folks that live here year-round.  The summer season's population increases to several thousand for the tourist industry.  The Chilkoot Tlingit tribe called this area home for over 10,000 years.  Then a former steamboat captain, William Moore, was one of the first white residents who foresaw the future that included a Gold Rush in 1898.  Twenty thousand gold seekers came in droves to make their fortunes, or not.   A ton of goods in the way of food and supplies was mandated by the Canadian government for each prospector to prevent starvation on the 600-mile journey over the treacherous Chilkoot Pass.  Sadly, many did not survive the harsh conditions, landslides or avalanches and that included their horses, mules and other livestock. Although the gold rush was short-lived, the history will go on forever.  

 

Another addition to be built was the White Pass and Yukon Railroad, aptly named the scenic railway of the world, and in modern times, one of Alaska's most popular visitor attractions.   We took this tour to Carcross on a bus with a train ride back to Skagway years ago and enjoyed it.    We saw beautiful alpine lakes, tunnels, trestles, and waterfalls along the way.  A BBQ lunch was included at Carcross eaten at outdoor picnic tables.  It was there we also saw some sled-pulling dogs, not all huskies.   Now there are tours on the train for shorter durations and ranging from $175 to $339 for 8 hours per person.   

 

The weather was most co-operative today, starting with temps in the low 40's with clear skies.  As the day advanced, there were scattered clouds and the highs of the day were in the 50-to-60-degree range.   The humidity was a comfortable 67% and there was no rain in the forecast.  We considered ourselves lucky, as there can be some fierce winds blowing down this corridor.  The most the winds blew was 9.2 mph.  Once again.....lucky.   

 

We love walking this town with the creeks, historical buildings, RV parks, and even the shops and restaurants.  You can feel the vibes of being a pioneer back in the old days while passing by the numerous well-restored buildings with the old-time facades.  Since we had some work to complete this morning, we did not leave the ship until after 11am.   All aboard was not until 8:30pm, so we had plenty of time to explore before lunchtime.   

 

There were two other ships docked today besides the Zaandam.  One was the large Coral Princess and the other vessel was a smaller Regent ship.  We followed a group of guests booked on a shorter train ride.  They lined up right at the end of the Broadway Dock where a train awaited them.   And since there were so many train options, there were few people in town.   Sure was not like Juneau where the people were wall-to-wall.   Maybe that's why we like it better here.  But every city has their own special sights such as whale and otter watching in Juneau and Ketchikan.  

 

We walked around Centennial Park and right to the creek, where we hoped to see some salmon swimming upstream.  There were none today, so it is too early for the spawning of two types of salmon and Dolly Varden trout.  Maybe we will see some next week when we come back.  We recall being told by a local that sometimes the fish will go up the larger Skagway River to spawn and not so much this smaller Pullen Creek.  We did not venture too far today because we left later.  Sometimes we make it to the Gold Rush Cemetery, Lower Reid Falls, and the bridge that crosses the Skagway River.  Maybe next week we will tackle that hike.

 

Some of the side streets in town were blocked off, and we assumed perhaps they were going to have a parade for Labor Day.   Then we spotted fresh asphalt and we realized that one of the main streets was recently paved.   New and wider sidewalks were added since we were here last year.   Nice to see progress here.

 

Passing some of the famous sites, we found our way to the best pizza place in town.  And we were pleased to find it was not crowded at all.  We were seated at a high-top table for two where we ordered two Alaskan Amber draft beers and a Hawaiian pizza.  It was excellent as always and looked even bigger this time.  We savored each and every bite.  Close-by is the Doughboy shop where among other items, they make fresh Doughboy treats that resemble a very large flat donut covered with cinnamon sugar.  They are irresistible but we had indulged with the pizza and had no more room for another bite.  Maybe next time. 

 

Doing some window-shopping, we did stop at the Arctic Brotherhood building that doubles as an info center with restrooms.   It is also the best place to pick up magazines and brochures on every port we will be going to as well as here in Skagway.  Can't have enough info.  Taking our sweet time, we were back to the ship before 3pm where we utilized the time before dinner working on photos and writing.  We also took advantage of relaxing on the veranda with the beautiful views of the harbor and surrounding mountains.  Once the sun went down, it was bone-chilling.

 

The upper dining room was plenty busy tonight, as it has been since day one.  Both of us ordered the Caesar salad, then one of us had the halibut and the other the chicken meatballs with rigatoni.  The entrees were delicious, especially the fish.  We are impressed with the quality of the food so far and the excellent way they cook it.   Our waiters are very attentive and even hunted down two small bowls of Greek yogurt for dessert, even though it was not on the menu.  

 

The ship left around 8:40pm, since everyone was onboard already.  By the time we got back to the room, the Zaandam had turned around and started heading out into the Taiya Inlet.  The Coral Princess and Regent ship left before us.  Now we are heading towards Glacier Bay National Park .  Looking forward to the adventure.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

165 Pictures 

Report #4 Friday, September 4, 2026---Drop Off At Tracy Arm An Onward To Juneau, Alaska---Sunny With Clouds---63 Degrees---6mph Winds---53% Humidity---Speed--12 knots----Casual Dress

Our destination today was the capital of Alaska, Juneau, with a population of 32,000 people with a rich history.    Juneau is hard to beat with its lush rain forests, jutting mountainsides with lakes, not to mention the 1500 square mile ice field, the 5th largest in the world.   That's where you will find Mendenhall and Taku glaciers.   But half of the fun was the trek getting here with a drop-off at Tracy Arm for a boat excursion. 

 

Last night with the clocks being set back one hour, we were awake earlier than normal.  That was around 5am.  One other disturbance was a call for the medical staff in our rooms at midnight or so.  There was someone that needed help in the crew mess.   Turned out to be OK and may have been due to a crew party we heard.

Anyway, we happened to look outside around 5:45am to see numerous whale sightings.  The ship had slowed down for the next ½ hour we assume due to the number of whales feeding and diving.  They were at a distance from the ship, and they were shallow diving with many blows visible.  We were lucky to have seen so many humpbacks this time.  One thing for sure, the temperature had dropped since yesterday.  At 7am, it was 45 degrees with scattered clouds with 70% humidity and light winds of 2.8 mph.   As the day advanced, it did warm up as the Captain promised yesterday. 

 

Breakfast was at 8am, even though it was a port day, we would not be arriving to Juneau until 1:30pm.  As we entered the Gastineau Channel, we spotted an MSC ship behind us.  Turned out to be the Poesia.  The Anthem of the Seas (RCI) , the NCL's Norwegian Spirit, and the Ruby Princess were already there - a total of five cruise ships..   The NCL ship was anchored and tendering their guests ashore. 

 

Approaching the town, we did spot a few bald eagles and managed to get some photos, but they were quite a distance away.   Hundreds of seagulls were floating and flying as we approached the dock.   They are lured here due to the Taku Fishery plant. 

 

Going to the front on deck six, we watched our approach to the harbor.  The clouds had disappeared and it was going to be a fine, warm sunny day in the high 70's.  That has to be the first time ever we have had such a nice day with no rain.   Once the ship was cleared, we shed our heavy coats and left the ship by 2pm.  With five ships in town, everything was WAY too crowded.  Every bar and restaurant had lines out in the streets, especially Tracy's King Crab Shack and the Red Dog Saloon. 

 

We strolled past every shop and eatery and never went inside any of them.  We made our way slowly to the Hangar on the Wharf where we had a 20-minute wait for a table.  The greeter had said it could be up to 40 minutes, but that was the worst-case scenario.   We have never seen this place so crowded at 3pm, but we had our Alaskan Amber beers and beef nachos delivered in a short time.  It was nice relaxing at a high-top table for two while watching the tendering operation of the Norwegian Spirit.   The best part of lunch was yet to come....a large slice of ice-cold mud pie, our favorite treat.  

 

By 4pm, we headed back to the ship walking along the harbor front passing the mega ships along the way.   One of us took several pictures of course, but the best one will be the two cooks at Tracy's King Crab Shack.   One of the young fellows held up huge crab legs, which surely cost a small fortune to order.  At the Hangar, the price for a pound of these extra-large legs started at $100 a pound.   Lucky for us, they are not high on our list of favorites.

 

For some unknown reason, the Goldbelt Tram was not operating today.   We stopped in their gift shop and asked why.   The fellow said it was due to a maintenance problem which may or may not be fixed by tomorrow.  This tram takes the guests up 1800 feet to the top of Mt. Roberts for incredible views, shopping, and dining.  What we did see near the ridge was a hang glider hovering near the station riding the thermals.  First time we ever saw that. 

 

Back onboard after a facial recognition check, we had some time to relax and process the pictures and compose the report.   It was almost too warm to sit outside on the veranda with the sun shining strongly.  A first for Juneau.  While we worked, the Anthem of the Seas and NCL ships left the harbor.   Before we knew it, dinnertime had arrived.   Hate to admit it, but we did not change our clothes for dinner as did 90% of the other guests.  Many tours had gone out today, some coming back later this evening.  People were still filing in around 9pm.

 

We had one Caesar salad and a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup.  Noodles?  Not really, but the thin spaghetti again.  It was good anyway.  One of us ordered the prime rib and the other the turkey dinner.  Both were served piping hot and were delicious.  Desserts were one scoop of mocha fudge ice cream. 

 

All aboard was 9:30pm and we were on our way before 10pm, following the last two ships to leave.  Tomorrow's port will be Skagway with an arrival time of 6:30am, one of our favorite ports.  Until then, good evening.

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

 

217 Pictures 

Report #3 Thursday, September 3, 2026---Sea Day Enroute To Juneau, Alaska----Sunny With Some Clouds-----Cool 57 Degrees---15mph Winds---90% Humidity-----Dressy Dress

Today was another busy one starting with a hearty breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill at 8am.   Greeted by Mehgan, the manager, we secured our table by the entrance.  We hope to have it for the entire cruise as long as we are among the first to enter the restaurant.  One of the first things we noticed was that the size of the round table was smaller, giving us more space from the "windows".    This must have changed from last year's larger table.  Two chairs had been removed as well.   The food was as excellent as ever, and the service was wonderful.  We still can get fresh squeezed orange juice, mimosas, and cappuccino, espresso, or Americano coffees - all complimentary.  Works for us.   Visited by Sommelia Jacques and one of the nicest assistant Maitre'ds made the morning even better.    

 

Today the weather began with broken clouds and cool temperatures in the high 50's.    Later in the afternoon, the skies turned cobalt blue, and the air was as fresh as could be.  One of us took a promenade walk, while the other caught up on reporting yesterday's exploits.  The prize for the morning stroll was spotting whale blows.  Although in the distance, they continued throughout the rest of the day as we sailed north in the world's largest temperate rainforest - the Tongass.  In the daily newsletter, we were advised to keep binoculars and cameras close for surprise visits from humpback whales and possibly eagles. 

 

Sometime during the morning, a carpet dryer or two appeared in the hallway.  Oh no......not again.  There had been a leak somewhere, but not in our room.    Pande told us that the leak was in the walls and it was considered small.  Yeah, that's what they said on the Volendam this last world cruise, but that turned into a flood at one point.   It is probably something to be expected on an older ship like this one and the Volendam.

 

We were bombarded with ads for sales and promotions in the shops, shore excursions, the spa, and the photo department.   Some of the discounts on HAL's Alaskan clothing were as good as 50% off.   The Alaska Shopping Show was held in the World Stage with coupons, maps, and a chance to win a $1000 shopping spree.   Laundry packages were also available with wash & fold for $30 a bag, wash & press for $35 a bag, unlimited laundry for $70, or unlimited pressing for $35.  It is really only good for 5 days of a 7 day cruise, since the final bag had to be turned in 48 hours before disembarkation.   The complimentary laundry service is one perk we really appreciate.   

 

While we are on the subject of sales, we got a flyer advertising the Have-It-All package for $75 per person per day.  Before we left for the cruise, we had a promotion for $65 a day per person.  Perhaps the price just went up recently?   Since we do not consume 15 beverages at $12 or under a day, we have never purchased the package.    We did have it once as a promotion and found it impossible to drink that much in the way of cocktails,  beer, wine, sodas, or water.   And speaking of wine, we were invited to a complimentary wine tasting at 2pm which was worth $35 per person.  We seldom drink wine, so we missed it.   

 

One of the promoted shore excursions was advertised for tomorrow called Endicott Arm Fjord & Glacier Explorer for 6.5 hours for $320.  Guests are dropped off to join a tour boat, then brought to Juneau where the ship docks around 1:30pm.  Space was limited, so hurry up and sign up.  We had a personal invite to visit the Effy shop, where in the past, we used considerable non-refundable money to purchase quality jewelry.  We must be on their preferred customer list.  

 

Our day consisted of organizing the room and stashing everything we had brought with us.   Final jobs included ceiling-hanging magnets and some Command hooks.  Everything found a place.  When all was said and done, and the empty luggage stashed under the bed, one of us was surprised to be missing two large bottles of Tylenol.   I know I packed it, but it was possibly put in the wrong suitcase to be shipped.    It should have been in my hand-carry.  We came to the conclusion that the Canadian customs must have spotted the bottles, which were not allowed to be shipped.  We have no reason why, but they are banned on their list.  In the upcoming ports, we should have the chance to shop for some more.   As careful as we were, this one was a mistake.   Live and learn......

 

Captain Willems came on at 12 noon with his update talk.   Missing some of it by holding the door open in the room, we lost most of the details.    We have gone over 600 nautical miles since leaving Vancouver and have another 400 plus to reach Tracy Arm.   And the weather for Juneau reveals the warmest temperature of the whole season.  Nice....no rain.

 

While trying out the new lounges on our veranda, we ordered a room service lunch of mini burger sliders and a plate of fries to share.   Watermelon cubes were a good dessert.

 

The rest of the late afternoon we watched the numerous whale blows until it was time to get ready for dinner, which was "dressy".  The Captain had a 15 minute welcome in the World Stage with bubbly sparkling wine.  Dinner was most pleasant with a good menu and music from the Vivace Strings.....really classy.  We ordered one Caesar salad, tomato bisque, and two shrimp cocktails.  All good.  Mains were one beef tenderloin and a rack of lamb.  Cooked perfectly and served hot as requested.  The show in the World Stage was a performance by the World Stage Cast with electrifying 70's music.   One good thing was the reminder  put our clocks back one hour this evening.  The extra hour of sleep works for all of us, especially the crew.

 

Back in our room, we had a bear towel animal, two fancy Lindt chocolates, and a reminder to set the clocks back.  So much for day # 2.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

18 Pictures

Report #2 Wednesday, September 2, 2026 Embarkation Day---Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada---Cloudy With Rain---59 Degrees---88% Humidity---16mph--Wind-----Casual Dress

Our adventure began quite early this morning with a pick-up with our driver to SFO for a flight to Vancouver leaving at 6:35am.   We had been advised that we needed to be at the airport three hours ahead of the flight because it was international.  However, there were no agents at the Air Canada desk.  We waited until 4:30am before a trio of agents arrived.  No explanation, no excuses.  Of course, leaving so early, we ran into very little traffic, arriving to the airport within an hour.  Record time.  

 

Having business class seats, we were allowed to bring 2 pieces of luggage each weighing up to 70 pounds for free.  However, we had shipped four bags and only checked in one bag weighing 71 pounds.  Oops, our scale must have been off a tad, but the agent let it go labeling it "heavy".  

 

We also had the chance to utilize their lounge, but since it did not open until 5am, we just went to the gate and relaxed for an hour.   Shortly before boarding, we were surprised by a dog patrol and the handler who checked us all sitting at the gate.  Before she began her search, she warned everyone that the dog might eat their snacks.  This time the dog was a shorthair retriever and quite well behaved.  We also noticed that there were two security guards standing close by in case they were needed.  We have to say that in all of our travels, we have never seen the dog search done at the gates.  By the way, everyone on our flight passed the inspection. 

 

The flight was quick in a small express jet, which was full.  Many guests had to turn over their carry-on luggage since it did not fit in the overhead bins.  We were lucky sitting in the front seats because they took our things and put them in a locker.  We were told that the wifi was not working, and we could hear the moans and groans from the rest of the passengers.   And with a jet of this size, there were no TV's.  Had the wifi been working, we could have watched free movies on our personal devices.  By the time we taxied down the runway, we were fighting to stay awake.   Then we were served a full breakfast, which was pancakes with chopped apples, sliced orange sections with grapes, and a sweet roll with jam and butter.  Orange juice and coffee made a nice meal.  Better than a tiny bag of pretzels for a change.

 

We landed in Vancouver before 9am, then walked for miles to the immigrations checkpoint.  At a kiosk, we scanned our passports, answered a series of questions, had a photo taken, then a coupon was issued to hand off before we left the baggage area.  The carts for lugging our stuff were free, which helped with the heavy one.   It was here that an HAL /Princess agent directed us to their desk.  They checked us off their list for our transfer, took our bag, and pointed out the bus stop outside the building.  We waited until 10am before a coach arrived, picking up a mix of guests for the Island Princess and the Zaandam. 

 

Traffic was stop and go all the way to the pier, so it took all of an hour to arrive at Canada Place and the cruise terminal. The driver was quite the comedian, entertaining us with local stories all the way to the pier. To our surprise, there was a third ship docked where the HAL ships usually dock.  It was the Serenade of the Seas, Royal Caribbean.  All of us had to enter a door in the garage area where we showed our boarding passes and went through the xray checkpoint.  Princess agents were set up checking in all of their guests.  The HAL folks went to a different set of agents.  For some unknown reason, we were held up there as they indicated there was a problem with one of our passports.  A couple of head agents came to figure it out, then we were taken to another desk where the lady remembered us from last year.  Wow, what a good memory.  That's when we realized we had been "red-flagged" as President's Club members and they were sending an escort from the ship to expedite our way around the waiting crowd.  Somehow, we avoided the zig-zag line and went straight to the face-to-face camera recognition.  From there, we followed the HAL sign and boarded the ship.

 

We were greeted at the entrance by the General Hotel Manager, Darren Lewis, who remembered us from the last three fall cruises.  He welcomed us back and led us to the elevator where Maria, our personal concierge officer escorted us to our room.  Some of the amenities were there, but not all of them.  The head housekeeper appeared and promised to get all of our requests done.  We met our room steward, Pande, who followed through with most everything.  Later on, Chandra, his assistant, delivered the shipped luggage, which we were afraid we might not see.  The bag that we brought on the plane had all of our liquid toiletries, which could not be shipped internationally.  Canada is very strict about what's in the luggage, so we had no choice.  It did take some time unpacking all of it, so getting the other luggage later worked out better.  To help stash it all, Pande brought us three sets of plastic drawers, smaller than the ones we had on the Volendam.

 

From there on, the rest of the afternoon was filled with multiple visits from the head housekeeper, the beverage staff, and our room attendants....all making sure we had everything we needed.   We had two breaks - one with attending the mandatory emergency muster station  (easy peasy) because we were leaving the port one hour ahead of the original schedule.  Captain Willems came on the speakers urging the guests to scan their cards or else we could not leave.   Sailaway was planned for 1:30pm, however we were delayed about ½ hour.   And by the time of departure, the heavily cloudy skies turned to a light drizzle.  Our second break was during sailaway  when we opted to pop open the gifted HAL bottle of chilled sparkling wine and view the sailing out of Vancouver's harbor from our veranda.   To be honest, one of us does not remember too many details after we polished off the entire bottle.  One of the items we noticed missing were the trays of canopies and chocolate covered strawberries.  But perhaps that came on the Legendary Tales of the South Pacific sailing.   At 2pm, we missed the Mariner reception in the Crow's Nest, but there will be another one next cruise.  Hard to do it all.

 

Around 4pm, we made our way to the Dive-In Grill for one hot dog and a Cannonball burger with fries.   We had missed lunch time, and knew dinner would not be until 7:30pm....too long to wait.    It was quite good and relaxing sitting by the Lido pool.   On our way back to the room, we both thought about Ronald, our favorite Lido manager.  Lo and behold, there he was walking right towards us, and laughing all the way.  ESP?  So nice to see friendly staff, and Ronald is one of the best.  He told us Mehgan was the Pinnacle Grill manager, another familiar really nice fellow we recalled.  Nice to see many staff members who delight in making us feel at home.  They are good at their jobs.  Another chance meeting was with Pulong, the Maitre'd of the dining room.    It has been years since we sailed with him as a head waiter, but he still remembered our names.   Incredible.  He promised to visit more with us at dinnertime....and he did.  

 

We could have skipped dinner, but we knew some of the staff were expecting us.  Our waiters were Kadek and Yudah, new to us, but very accommodating.   Sitting on the railing in the upper dining room at table # 37 ( a new number), we had a surprise visit from Jacques, the Sommelier from most all of the world voyages.  What a surprise to see him since the last time we sailed together was on the Zuiderdam in 2025, where he stayed since then.  Now he goes wherever they send him, happy to be working.  He has done this job for 20 years now and intends to stay with the company.   Anyway our meal consisted of Caesar salads, one roll, and pork medallions with double lingonberry sauces.    One of us opted for sliced watermelon for dessert and it was so good.

 

What we did not expect was more excitement when a lady sitting behind us had a problem like choking we assumed.   OMG....within minutes the staff was there to help with the medical staff on the way.   Even two nearby hefty Australian passengers ran to her table to help.  We figured they might have been EMT's.   Well two nurses arrived with all the necessary equipment but it was not needed, thank goodness.    The nurses stayed for a while and checked her vitals, then left after she reassured them she was fine.  Something had been stuck in her throat but passed eventually.  OK...enough excitement for one day.  It was time to turn in for the evening.  

 

There was one preview show with the World Stage Cast at 8:30pm.  Been there, done that.  Shelly on Guitar was in the Ocean Bar,  Marcel on the piano in the Piano Bar,  The Dam Band later in the Ocean Bar, and Vivace strings tomorrow in the Explorer's Lounge.

 

Typing until 10pm produced more mistakes than needed.   Time to quit for the night for much needed sleep.  Until tomorrow.....good evening.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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Report #1 Tuesday September 1, 2026----Final Countdown----Leaving Northern California And Flying To Vancouver, Canada To Board The Zaandam On 9-2-26

Totems, Tacos, & Tikis—-Follow Along With Bill & Mary Ann For 78 Days On The Zaandam—-9-2-26 To 11-19-26

 

Well, here we are once again, preparing for another adventure.  It seems like we just got back from the grand world cruise in May, and here the summer is almost over.    Keeping super busy with family, friends, house chores, and routine doctor appointments, the time flew by all too fast.    Such is life.....

 

We are looking forward to 32 days in Alaska, followed by a short cruise down the California coast, a 7-day cruise in Mexico, then finally a 35- day sailing around Hawaii and French Polynesia - one of our most favorite destinations.    

 

Also, we decided to make things simpler by shipping our luggage to Vancouver, then back home from San Diego.  It was a bit pricey, but if it saves more wear-and-tear on our backs, it is well worth it.   And we are using a company recommended by our travel agent, not the same one that does the grand voyages.  We're keeping our fingers crossed that nothing gets lost like the two suitcases that never appeared a few years ago from a grand voyage.   

 

Once we get settled on the Zaandam, we will be sending the blog complete with photos.  Stay tuned......

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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Report #138 Sunday, May 17---Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA---Debarkation Day---Partly Cloudy With Rain Showers---80 Degrees---13.8mph Winds--83% Humidity---Part #1 Of 1---56 Pictures Of 56-----Casual Dress

Well, here we are at home having arrived safely at the SFO airport on Monday May 18^th.   But first we shall share our adventure getting here and our final day on the ship. 

 

We got up early because the Pinnacle Grill opened at 6:30am, the same as the dining room.  We said many good-byes hoping to see some of the regulars next year.  Many have switched to the New Zealand/Australia cruise for several reasons.  It is shorter in days and does not go to Africa.  We missed saying farewell to Mike and Cathy because their flight was later, and they did not want to get up early.  

 

Checking the weather on the TV, we found it was going to be another hot and muggy day with temperatures in the low 80’s.  The humidity was 83% with 13.8 mph winds.  Rain was in the forecast, but not until early afternoon.  Too late for umbrellas, since we had packed them in the shipped luggage, which went out after dinner last night.  Actually, 8 of them were out before dinner, and one went out by 9pm. 

 

This morning we had a message that there would be a driver for us with a sign outside the terminal.  It turned out that the bus we expected was going to be a Suburban limo with one other passenger.   We had Lime green # 1 tags and were the last scheduled to go off of the ship by 9:15am.  Fine with us. 

 

At the gangway, we said our goodbyes to many staff members, including Captain Frank and Alexandra his wife, who gave us both hugs.  We will look forward to seeing them again next year.  With just our hand-carrys, we passed by the guests searching for luggage, then headed right for the facial recognition checkpoint.  We got the green light and that was the extent of the customs and immigrations check.   Our passports were not even scanned.    Easy.  Our luggage that had been taken from the  hallway last night would go directly to the Luggage Forward trucks.   By the way, we did see that this luggage was being scanned by xray on the dock before being loaded into the vans.  Random bags were being searched.

 

Just as promised, a driver was waiting outside with our names on his computer.  He was looking for an elderly Texas guest, then we would be on our way.  We got into the comfortable Suburban and waited until the man arrived.  Hard to believe there were no other guests that booked this hotel, since it was HAL’s hotel they use all the time. 

 

This hotel was not all that far from Port Everglades, but right before we got there, it began to rain.  When we saw a few drops on the windshield, we thought we would beat it.  However, the deluge came within seconds – a real tropical downpour the likes we never see in California.  The driver got us as close to the entrance to the hotel, but we needed help with the hotel staff using over-size umbrellas to keep us dry.   There was an overhang, but with the wind blowing, we still got wet.  Not to worry, it is so warm here in Florida, we dried within minutes. 

 

The lobby of the Element was on the third floor, which was different.  And the elevators were marked for the floors depending on where you wanted to go.  We were able to check in but did not get a king-size bed.  What we did get and did not need was a kitchenette with a sink, stove top, microwave, a dishwasher, and refrigerator.  The room itself was actually small with no couch or chairs.  Only a stool for the tiny desk to work on the computer.    There were two under-sized queen beds.  Oh well, it was the best they had, even though we booked and paid for this months ago.  We did have a nice view from the 11^th floor, where we watched a fenced food truck-type venue that opened at noontime.  There was a church nearby where the people came after the services to buy ice chests of fast food.   We also had a view of the hotel’s pool which was on the 6^th floor.  The bad thing was that the TV had a blue tinge making it hard to see.    We did call the main desk, and they sent up a technician to fix it.   “No can do” was the answer since a bulb had burned out in the unit.  The best they could do was move us to another room.  Nope, we said we would deal with the TV being blue. 

 

Taking a walk to a nearby CVS, we searched for a new alarm clock with no luck.  There was no hardware store close by, so we gave up.   We would just trust that we could wake up by 3am to be ready for a  4:45am pick up.  Back at the hotel, we asked directions to several restaurants nearby.  One of the fellows mentioned Cheesecake, and we said yes, that would do.   Having researched Google, the directions were way more complicated than they needed to be, perhaps due to construction at the time.  Turned out it was a straight walk to the Las Olas area with hundreds of venues.  Being that today was Sunday, it was hopping with locals and tourists alike. Obviously the place to be.

 

We got seats in the bar area and ordered one beer and one Coke Zero for starters.   We shared our favorite tortilla salad with plenty of bread which is particularly good.   After our meal, we strolled past many shops and restaurants on the boulevard before heading back to the hotel.   Up until now, the earlier rain had stopped and the sun came out.  But now it was getting cloudy and we felt rain was coming.  Just as we got about a quarter mile from the hotel, the sky opened up flooding the streets.  We happened to be under an overhang with benches, so we sat it out, knowing it was passing over in about 15 minutes.  In a slight drizzle, we made it back to the hotel and stayed dry all the way. 

 

One of us worked on photos while the other relaxed watching the blue TV.  When it began to get darker outside, we could see the screen better.  By 5pm, we made our way to the poolside restaurant finding we had the place almost to ourselves.  We ordered a Margherita flatbread pizza and one hamburger with fries to share.  The food was good and we did not have to worry about the rain by staying inside for dinner. 

 

Before retiring for the evening, we had everything in place and ready to go for the morning.  Watching the old reruns of Seinfeld, we turned off the TV by 9pm.  It had been one long day, and morning would arrive all too soon.

 

Fast forward to Monday morning, our lady driver was right on time to drive us to the Ft. Lauderdale airport, about a 15 minute ride with no traffic.   The airport was busy with passengers lining up to check in, which always takes us by surprise how many people travel at this time in the morning.  With no luggage to check in, we had our boarding passes within minutes.  The zigzag line for security was long but moving.  Once we passed through the xray, we had time to find a place for breakfast near the gate, which was down one floor and at the end of the terminal. 

 

Whiskey River Café was opened early, where we ordered much-needed coffee and a split breakfast. 

 

The good news was that the flight was on time, not completely full, and we had bulkhead seats with lots of leg room.   The TV’s were in the console and we were able to enjoy a few movies and sitcoms all the way across the country.  With very little turbulence, good weather, and a tail wind, we arrived earlier than expected to SFO.   Our driver met us at baggage turntable #9 where we hiked to the parking garage.  It was easy with no luggage to drag along. 

 

It was one of those rare days in San Francisco where the weather was near perfect….blue skies and no fog.   There was little to no traffic which is a miracle these days.  We were home by 1:30pm or so.  Home coming was not so sweet when we discovered the landline phone was not working and the computer was not jiving with the hotspot.   Well, it’s not like we have nothing else to do, right?  Both problems were resolved the following day thank goodness.  Despite it all, it was nice to be home.

 

Our future plans include Alaska, Mexico, and Hawaii and South Pacific in the fall.   Then back on the world cruise in 2027.   It has been a pleasure sharing our adventures with you all.  Bye for now!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS     Here is a snippet of our final thoughts on this world cruise.   In our opinion, this ship is getting older and needs some TLC.   The pattern as we see it, is wait until it breaks, then fix it.  This resulted in water shut off for most of the day and all night on one occasion.  No bathrooms – no water more than once.   Without asking, we did receive some compensation with SB credit.  Our other issues were there were so many segments, it felt like we were starting over every few weeks leaving the cruise to feel dis-jointed.  The other thing we really noticed was how many more “pop-up” lunches and dinners that occurred in the Pinnacle Grill.   It made it difficult to figure out regular days we could go there to use our complimentary dinners on a regular evening. 

 

On a positive note, we did not mind that we sailed mostly in the Pacific Ocean instead of circling the globe.  The downside was losing an hour almost daily as we headed eastbound.   We appreciated the quality of the food, especially for dinner in the dining room.   With a new head chef, we had many new appetizers and entrees that we liked.  Our waiters and room stewards were the best.   Florin did a fine job with the President’s Club events and the entire front desk staff headed by Jonah were much appreciated.  Kumar, our Mariner rep, really did take care of our mishaps the best he could.  And thanks to the two Captains, we made it safely back to Ft. Lauderdale with a lot of fun in between. 

 

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Report #137 Saturday, May 16, 2026---Sea Day #2 OF 2 Enroute To Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA---Partly Sunny----81 Degrees---85% Humidity----15mph-Winds----2' Swell-----Casual Dress

Well, today is Saturday and our final day at sea before the end of the cruise arrives.  Honestly, we cannot believe it is over so quickly.  Our parents have always said that time goes faster the older you get.  Guess what?   They were right.   So most of the day was for saying goodbye to new and old friends and packing.  The worst of it was accomplished yesterday, but that last minute stuff always takes time. 

 

It was still warm with the temperature at 81 degrees and 85% humidity.  We had fair winds of 15 mph and it appears they are following.  The sea swell was a mere 2 feet, which meant it was far less rocky and much easier to pack.  Captain Frank came on with the final noon time talk and agreed that we all have had a wonderful experience.  He also mentioned the GWV farewell at 10am, and how proud he was of this crew.   Oops….we missed the show because we failed to read the Daily newsletter in time.  We are sure it was televised and will be shown on TV later today. 

 

Anyway, Captain Frank said we were doing a speed of 18.5 knots and sailing on the north coast of Cuba on the portside.  Working  online with reports and photos from Cartagena, we happened to see bits and pieces of land in the distant horizon.    The good thing by taking this route, the seas are much calmer.  Tomorrow’s weather in Ft. Lauderdale sounded not quite perfect because rain is in the forecast.   Our docking has been changed to Berth 19 and the Volendam should be in Port Everglades by 7am.   Then the US Border and Immigrations officials will board the ship and conduct the required facial recognition in order to clear us.

 

We had our last room service lunch surrounded by a lot of luggage.  It will go out after dinner tonight.

 

Dinner was good in the dining room, which came with another parade of the crew members.  Always fun to watch, but we sure do miss the Baked Alaska Parade.  In memory of those days, a mini Baked Alaska was offered for dessert….without the sparklers….  We each ordered the Westland salad, and a bowl of chicken noodle soup for one of us.  It was the last chance to enjoy it.  Entrees were the rack of lamb, very good we might add.   Dessert was light with Jello.  We seems to sleep a lot better without the sugary desserts these days. 

 

We will be staying one night in Ft. Lauderdale, then fly home early Monday morning.   So our group will be the last to go off by 9:30am or so. 

 

Stay tuned….we will be back for a wrap-up once the dust settles.  It has been a pleasure sharing our adventures with you all!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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Report #136 Friday, May15, 2026----Sea Day #1 Of 2 Enroute To Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA----Partly Cloudy---81 Degrees---87% Humidity---23.1mph--Winds---Ships Speed--17 Knots----Casual Dress

The only notes taken today were the current weather conditions and the Captain’s talk after 12pm.   Day number one at sea on the way  back to Florida was a warm one with temps in the low 80’s and humidity at 87%.  The winds of 23.1 mph helped a bit to cool things off.  The ships speed was 17 knots and we were rocking and rolling all night.  We do believe that what the Captain said yesterday was correct with high winds during the night, near gale force and sea swells of over 10 feet.   All contributing the motion of the ocean.    This is not what we like when it comes to packing.  Remember, the higher you are, the more you pay and the more you sway.  Hopefully the seas will calm down the further north we get.

 

The final Mariner Recognition Event took place in the World  Stage at 10:15am.   As President’s Club members, we all had the chance to attend all three dates or choose one.  Honestly with the packing chore looming over our heads, we were leaning towards not attending.  However, after some convincing words from one of our breakfast buddies, we said OK….we will see you there.  Please save our seats. 

 

The format was about the same with music provided by Vivace before the show began.  Erin announced two acts….one of which was a lovely lady from the crew staff, and the other was Josh, our travel guide.  They both sang songs that reach the high notes.   Then the awards started with the introduction of Florin, the hotel director and Captain Frank of course.  The table of medallions was full with all four levels.  They began around 11am, and ended by 11:45am.  Perfect timing.  The World Stage Cast of four singers treated us with another rendition of “Halleluia” the same song they performed at a previous assembly.  Great job. Then the exclusive lunch was announced in the lower dining room by 12 noon.  Once again, we did not attend although we did hear through the grapevine that the last two lunches were quite nice.  

 

Back to the “salt mines”, we continued with the packing and never left the room for the remainder of the day.   Captain Frank came on around 12:15pm with his daily report.  He expected that sailing in the open seas would be rough but subsiding by 6pm when we would be near the sheltered area near Haiti.  He was correct, and by looking out our mist-covered veranda, we did not see the whitecaps we were seeing this morning.   The last request he had was to turn the clocks forward one hour tonight.  That will put us on Eastern time, the same as Florida. 

 

Today we had an odd message regarding the telephone services onboard.  It appears there has been an ongoing issue affecting the dialing of the extension numbers from our room phones as well as the public phones.   The electrical and IT teams were actively monitoring and investigating the matter.  In order for us to connect to guest services, room service and dinner reservations, we had to dial a different number.   The emergency number 911 still worked.  Good to know.   

 

By the time we were ready to go to dinner, we had unloaded all three stacks of drawers as well as the desk drawers and closets and successfully filled about 6 pieces of luggage.   Labeled, weighed and locked, they are ready to go out in the hallway tomorrow after dinner.   The menu was titled “Farewell Dinner”.  But we still have one more night, so we sure hope we are not being kicked off early.  That would put us in the vicinity of Cuba.   We ordered an alternate salad with the appetizer of clothes line bacon on the side.  At least it looked like the Pinnacle Grill treat but was not the same.  We think they used very thinly-slice pork belly instead of the bacon.   Mains were the veal chop, which was good but a bit  on the chewy side.  It came draped over a mound of cheesy polenta and some mystery root veggies underneath the polenta.  The bacon-wrapped green beans were good.   Desserts were some watermelon and another round of Jello.  A sweet ending, but light.

 

The show this evening was Hits On 45, radio’s golden era performed by the World Stage Cast.    We were so tired, we called it a night and were happy when we found the stacks of drawers were taken away.  No tripping over them tonight. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

11 Pictures

Report #135 Thursday, May 14, 2026----Cartagena, Colombia----7am-12:30pm----Docked Starboard Side To Pier----Hazy---81 Degrees---89% Humidity---14mph Winds-----Casual Dress

Colombia is a country we have visited many times, as Cartagena is usually on the Panama Canal and Caribbean cruises.   The capital is Bogata and the population is 47.2 million Spanish-speaking people.   An Equatorial country, it is truly diverse from the sunny Caribbean, to the emerald, green mountains of coffee plantations and the towering Andes mountains.  Bogata is the world’s third highest capital in the world. 

 

What  is their favorite food?  Try ajiaco, an Andean chicken stew with corn, potatoes, avocados, and spicy herbs.  Bandeja paisa is a “gut” busting mound of sausage, beans, rice, eggs, and corn flatbread.   Empanadas are fried stuffed pastries which are served in many South American countries.  They are really good too.   A dessert favorite is helado de paila, an ice cream that is whipped in a copper tin.  Fresh orange juice is plentiful here.  And we are certain if there is sugar cane, there will be a variety of rums.

 

Among other things, the Pacific coast of Colombia is a good place to see the humpback whales as they arrive from Antarctica and have their calves in the warmer waters.   The journey is 8000 kilometers, and these whales can be viewed from clifftop restaurants along the shoreline we read. 

 

Shoulder season is right now with possible hard rains that begin in May.  If we do not see rain today, we consider ourselves lucky.    As it turned out, the predicted showers never happened.  Yep….lucky.

 

When the  Volendam arrived to the port of Cartagena around 6:30am, the temperature was already 81 degrees with 89% humidity.   The haze was heavy in the air even though the wind was 14 mph.   It was going to be a short stay with the all aboard time at 12:30pm.   Hot and steamy like we remember it. 

 

We went to breakfast as always and found some folks were missing and more than likely on tours.  The rest of us that stayed locally here came around 8am.    At 9:30am, there was a crew drill where we saw some of the tenders that had been dropped halfway to the water on our side.  Today the ship nosed-in starboard side for a change.    It was a good time to leave, and there was a shuttle available, but the walk was less than ¼  of a mile which we could easily handle.  By the time they filled the shuttle, we could be there at the terminal.   There was more of a description about getting to Cartagena’s Old Town printed in the map.  It stated that it was not advised for anyone to walk from the port to town.  Once in town by other means such as taxis, buses, or tours, the town would be pedestrian friendly and somewhat safe.  Since we have done the tours on past trips, we chose to stay right here. 

 

It was wicked hot outside today, feeling it immediately when we began the walk to the terminal.  It’s not really a terminal, but a pleasant area called Port Oasis with a mini zoo and one large shop that is very nice.    There are also small stands selling beverages and some food and a couple of duty-free liquor and cigarette stores.   Naturally, we were most interested in the animals and birds we always see here.  Entering this little jungle oasis, the first thing we noticed was that feeding trays had been added to the railings of the fences of the bird enclosure.   With the trays recently filled, like around 8am, the parrots were busy gorging on the deep orange fruit, which was more than likely very ripe papaya.  Too big for mangoes, the sweet fruit must be a real treat for these birds.   The several varieties of parrots and macaws were so intent on eating, they barely paid any attention to all of us taking close-up photos of them.  In fact, we had to be careful not to step on them.  Some folks who did not know any better, put their fingers close to those sharp beaks and risked losing those fingers.   Why….we don’t know.  People do strange things sometimes. 

 

There used to be flaming orange flamingoes here in this enclosure, but we did not see them right away.  There were peacocks, however, flying anywhere and everywhere they wished.  Their calls reminded us of what we are missing at home, as we do have about one dozen of these birds for pets.  This time of year, they are very vocal and will remain that way until the summer heats up and the breeding season is over.  

 

We continued around the side of the store, saving that for later.  We know from experience that the shop is kept very air-conditioned, which really helps to keep the customers inside spending money.  Smart local people.  Since the last time we were here, we noticed some improvements in the grounds and cages.   It was cleaner and possibly larger.   Some of the garden and cage area was closed off to the public, but there was still enough to see.   Walking around the backside of the entrance enclosure, we saw where the flamingoes were hiding.  They were in the shade under a large canopy of trees with another pond just for them. Actually, they were sharing this pond with a couple of very large active iguanas that were claiming a fallen log as their sunspot.   Unlike the birds,  the lizards need that sun to get their blood going.   There were a few black swans and Muscovy ducks in this area as well, but the feisty flamingoes stayed clear of them.   Sometime a bit later, the flamingoes were let into the grassy area near the entrance to cavort in the sprinkler and eat some of that sweet fruit.  In the wild, we never would have been able to get that close to a flock.  

 

A new sandy pen had been created for many small tortoises, who were also moving around.  We continued on to the backyard portion of the “zoo” where some of the oldest banyas trees are located.  Looking up into the tops of the branches, we did spot a furry animal, thinking it was a monkey.  It was motionless, but so far up in the tree, we were not sure what it was.  Of course, we never miss an opportunity to take pictures, hoping that might reveal the identity of the creature.  Or possibly, it would turn out to be a beehive.   Time will tell…..

 

The macaw and parrot structure was still in this area, so even more pretty birds were there chewing on small chunks of fresh corn.    More photos were taken, then we moved towards the taxi area where another trail was chained off.  One of the workers had let a couple of people into this section so we followed.  Most of this part of the zoo has a veterinary clinic for recently injured or abandoned creatures.  But there was also a very white peacock there, fanning it’s heart out for the few people who got to see him.     We used to have a pair of these birds, but they are not as common as the blue/green ones.   They are interesting.  

 

The largest of the banyan trees were here, so we took a lot of time searching the canopy for either howler or squirrel monkeys.  There is a resident tamarin monkey or macaque that is a master at hiding.   We never did see him or her.  The sloths in this area are brown-throated and there are some red squirrels as well.   Never saw them, or perhaps we did……There was some more movement high in the branches and we did spot some howler monkeys.

 

Between touring the gardens and taking plenty of pictures, we did visit with some ship friends that were doing the same thing as us.  Hard to do much more in such a short time.   It was time to pay a visit to the store, which was just as cool as we remembered it.  Many Colombian souvenirs were for sale as well as jewelry with emeralds.   One type of jewelry one of us prefers is made from a gourd grown here in Colombia.  There were several necklace and earring sets, all of which were one-of-a-kind.   I found just the right set along with another set with peacock feathers as the design.    We have found that the hard coffee candy they sell here is really good, so we purchased a bag of those.    The staff had at least four or more registers and were doing a brisk job.  Of course, it was our final port, and people were having fun making the best of it.  We did too.

 

Time to head back out into the heat.  There was a shuttle waiting, but we soon discovered that it would not leave until it was full.     By the time we walked back, taking our sweet time,  we beat the shuttle back to the gangway.  We had spent two hours at the terminal without ever leaving the port.    Even some of the crew made there from engineering and like services.  Back onboard, we ordered a room service lunch with salads and some watermelon. 

 

Captain Frank came on the speakers by 12:45pm hoping everyone had a beautiful, but hot day in Cartagena.  The pilot had just boarded and he was going to allow one of the junior officers to take the ship out of the port.   We had some scenic views as we left the long and narrow bay and back to the Caribbean Sea.   There was a icer breeze blowing once we got put to sea.   But it was getting rough, which we did not expect.

 

We kept busy all afternoon processing photos.  And guess what?  We discovered the mystery animal in the top of the canopy was indeed a sloth.  Glad we took that picture.  

 

For some unknown reason, this evening was chosen to be a formal night with the Grand Finale Ball.  It usually is held on a sea day, but things have been different on this particular trip.   We almost thought about not going since it had been a hot and draining day.   However, due to the fact we are currently heading in a northerly direction, the sun was shining in our room making it quite hot.   So we dressed up and went to the dining room for the last formal night.  

 

We ordered one Caesar salad and another bowl of chicken noodle soup even though it was not on the menu.  Mains were one vegetarian mushroom raviolis and one surf and turf of a tenderloin steak and lobster.   Dessert was light with pineapple slices and Jello.   All good.

 

The Ball had begun at 8:30pm in the World Stage with a farewell dance with Volendam’s Officers and Crew.   The prelude was by Vivace strings starting at 8pm.  We found it strange that on most formal evenings there had not been any live music in the dining room.    At times, it was provided for the dressy evenings.  Go figure……

 

Looking forward to two days at sea, or maybe not because the serious packing has still to be done.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

277 Pictures

Report #134 Wednesday, May 13, 2026----Sea Day Enroute To Cartagena, Colombia----Scattered Clouds---84 Degrees---84% Humidity---15mph Winds----Ships Speed--7 Knots-----Casual Dress

Today is one at sea and a good time to begin packing.  Like it or not, it has to be done.  But first, breakfast was in order at 8am.  Some of the regulars were either missing or dressed a little better than a regular sea day.  That’s because there is the second Mariner Recognition Event held in the show lounge at 10:15am.   Once again, we did not attend.  A lunch followed the ceremony in the lower dining room where they serve sparkling wine with lunch. 

 

One of us worked for hours on yesterday’s Panama Canal photos, while the other one began doing the “small stuff” packing.  With the exception of storing the cold weather gear, we have not touched anything under the bed.   After hauling out most of them, we recalled that the old tags and shipping labels were still on the duffels and suitcases.    We sure do not need to have anything go “missing”, so the old info was taken off.  We sent eight pieces of luggage and had taken one to Ft. Lauderdale for our stay there.   And because we do not want to haul anything but our hand carrys on the airplane, we will ship a total of nine bags home.   If the gifts and few souvenirs we bought make the bags overweight, we can pay for another one.  They did give us two collapsible duffel bags, and we can use one of those if need be. 

 

Today there was a message for the guests who wish to donate unused or leftover items such as toiletries or clothing, they can be left for the crew at a donation table in the Atrium deck three.  Many times people  do not want to take some of the gifts back home with them, and usually give them to their room stewards.   Also, the laundry service will stop on May 15^th in order for them to get it back to us on time.   

 

The ship did a very low speed of 7 knots most of the day.  Guess we are very close to Cartegena.   Actually, during his noontime talk, Captain Frank said we had 134 nautical miles to go to reach the next port in Colombia.  The temperature was a warm 84 degrees with 84% humidity.  Winds were higher at 20 knots with partly sunny and cloudy skies.  There was a chance of passing showers, although we never saw rain.  The Captain said we were sailing within 64 nautical miles of coral reefs located on the starboard side.   And we had 6000 feet of water under the keel.  Nice to know.    He hoped we would be cleared early tomorrow since the all aboard time will be 12:30pm.  Then he added that by the time we reach Ft. Lauderdale, we will have traveled over 36,000 nautical miles since January 4^th.   That equates to traveling the Equator one and a half times.  Impressive. 

 

Even with the short port time, there will be some tours offered.  A Ho-Ho bus ride is a great idea for 4 hours and $50.  Off the beaten track is 4.75 hours for $90.   Cartegena Bay and walled city walk is 4 hours and $99.  Local flavors, a bay cruise, and walled city is 4.5 hours and $110.  We have done this tour a few times and found it fun.  Snorkel Baru Island is 3.5 hours and $200, and Getsemani and Old Town in a classic cart roadster is 4 hours for $330.   Wow. 

 

By dinnertime, the report and photos were completed, although there has been a problem with the internet being very slow taking like forever to send files.  Most all of the “small packing” got done with everything in ziplock bags that fit in them. 

 

Dinner was good with two different salads, a bowl of chicken noodle soup (I like it better than creamy soups) and one shrimp cocktail.  Mains were flank steak sliced very thin and quite tender.  It was served with sliced potatoes and broccoli covered with a savory gravy, which may have been a wine-reduction base.   Dessert was one tiny slice of Key lime pie and Jello.    The dining room was pretty quiet tonight, then we remembered there was a Caribbean seafood boil in the Lido tonight.  For free, no charge.   

 

The entertainment was a good one tonight with Breton Thunder, with Heritage, the sounds of Nova Scotia.   This group was on one of the last cruises we took and they were very popular.

 

So much for one of the last days at sea.

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

 

No Pictures

Report #133 Tuesday, May 12, 2026---Scenic Cruising The Panama Canel---6am-4pm-- Sunny And Hot---86 Degrees---70% Humidity---8.1mph Winds------Casual Dress

One of us was awake early enough to watch as the Volendam sailed under the Bridge of the Americas which was completed in 1962 at a cost of 20 million US dollars.   It is part of the Pan-American highway.   The time listed on the front of our newsletter said the journey began at 6:30am, but it must have been a bit later than that.  We had a narrator by the name of Richard Detrich who raised coffee in Panama as well as having traveled the world.  Now being retired, he goes on small and large ships to make our adventure a learning experience.   One other aspect of today’s sailing had to do with the oppressively hot and humid weather and how to avoid heat stroke.  We were all given a detailed letter that suggested proper clothing, using sunscreen, drink lots of fluid, preferably non-alcoholic, and limit our exposure to the sun.   Heat exhaustion can reveal itself with headaches, nausea, faintness and weakness.  Finally, call 911 of we feel we are dying.  And sometimes these things can sneak up on you without warning, so we take the message seriously.

 

It was already 86 degrees and 70% humidity at 9am.  The winds were mild at 8.1 mph and there were some clouds and some sun.  No doubt in our mind that it will get hotter as the day progresses. 

 

Our special treat of Panama rolls were delivered by Joan who remembered to add some to her tempting tray of pastries.  Many folks like us came a bit later to the Pinnacle Grill since we were watching the start of the day-long trek.   We did not want to miss the chance of spotting the capybaras near the Pacific Ocean side of the canal.  And we were not disappointed because there they were, cavorting in a huge pond-like puddle left from the rain.  Of course, this was on the starboard side of the ship, so going out on deck six forward worked quite well.  Also seen were three large crocodiles swimming along the banks of the canal.  The bow was opened by 6am, and since it had not rained last night, the deck was dry.   While the photographer among us was taking the capybara pictures, a couple of deer snuck out of the canopy of trees on the port side of the canal.  Yours truly got a quick picture of them before they disappeared under the trees.  It was the first time ever to spot deer here.

 

So how do you describe the Panama Canal story in a nutshell?  The Panama Canal is the world’s most famous “shortcut” which cuts through the Continental Divide linking the Atlantic to the Pacific.   Sounds like a simple idea, but it sure turned out to be a monumental project.  It came with a price, mostly in the loss of human lives due to malaria, yellow fever, and accidents of all kinds.  There are many books written on the subject, which if you truly want to enjoy  what you are witnessing, understanding the history is most important. 

 

We happen to be here in the low season, or the beginning of the wet and wetter season.  It lasts from late April to early December.  So what are the favorite foods eaten in Panama?  They include sancocho which is a chicken and veggie stew.   Next is propa vieja - a spicy shredded beef over rice.  Rice, beans and fried green plantains go well with everything, especially fresh fish which is abundant.  Cerviche is everywhere in Panama.  Coconut water and tropical juices are available and their favorite alcoholic beverage is made with seco, a type of rum, mixed with milk and ice.  Perhaps many folks had a chance to try some of the local cuisine last night. 

 

One thing we missed were the flyers and maps given to us by the local Panamanian Canal officials.  The ship did provide a map with descriptions of the Canal, which was a big help.  There were many types of birds to be seen that included frigates, pelicans, ibis, vultures, egrets, grackles, brown boobies, little swifts, gulls, cormorants, and the best sighting of an osprey or two.  

 

The ship entered into the Miraflores Locks before 8am, but we missed most of the transit due to breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.  That  is one downside to that venue, and it is the fact there are no windows.  The next set of locks was at Pedro Miguel, which sits 85 feet above sea level.  From here, we could see the new sets of Cocoli Locks where a giant container ship was being escorted by tugboats.  For several years now, we have witnessed the progress of this new technology which produced these new locks in 2016.   The Cocoli Locks are 31 feet higher than the old locks we were sailing in.  We could see the difference from our veranda, where we spent the majority of the day. 

 

By 10:30am, we were sailing under the newer Centennial Bridge which opened in 2004 to lessen the traffic on the Bridge of the Americas.  The distance between the two bridges is only 9 miles.  On a past cruise right after the bridge opened, we drove across both bridges in one day while on a tour.   It was the thing to do back then for bragging rights we guess.  

 

The Culebra Cut is an excavated gorge for 8 miles crossing over the Continental Divide.  It proved to be a bear of a job completing this section due to the unstable mud and soil as well as the extreme working condition for the laborers.  We have a few photos of this pyramid-like cut even though it was on the starboard side, we caught a glimpse of it before the ship turned.   We did see a quick look at Herman the German, one of the largest cranes used to lift the gates of the canal for routine maintenance.   For some reason, we did not hear any narration during this part of the transit.  In order to hear any of the narration, we had to keep the TV on the bow channel and go in and out of the veranda all day.  The outside speakers on this deck were not working. 

 

We also passed Gamboa where we believe Noriega was imprisoned for many years following his dramatic capture.  He has since died, and we did not hear any mention of the prison itself.   

 

A slow and steady pace brought us to Gatun Lake around 12pm or so.  By damming the Chagres River in 1912, this lake was left with little islands which were once mountaintops.  This 166 square mile lake is at an elevation of 82 to 87 feet above sea level.   It is the heart of the operation of the locks making it one of the greatest engineering projects in the world.  There are more than 100 species of reptiles and mammals, and 500 different types of birds.  Due to the heat, most of this wildlife is rarely seen.  

 

We did notice that there was two way traffic today with mostly commercial vessels and few small yachts passing the other way.  We did not see any other cruise ships, which is unusual.  It looked like we were heading into rain, but we only got some drizzles….nothing more.    It would have helped cool the air down if nothing else.  All through the mountains and valleys of the lake, we saw some bright yellow trees blooming.   Looking them up, we discovered they were the guayacan trumpet trees which can grow to 164 feet tall and live up to 50 years.  Their nickname is sunshine tree and can actually be seen from space due to their brilliance. 

 

The Volendam arrived to the Gatun Locks around 2pm which is located on the Caribbean side.  There were three sets of locks which dropped us down 100 feet to the Caribbean Sea.    It was even more interesting watching the locks next to us raising a commercial tanker to the lake.  We could not see the new locks at Agua Clara because once again, they were on the starboard side. 

 

The finale was going under the Atlantic Bridge, which was completed in August of 2019.    It is also made with double cable stay supports and connects the town of Colon.  It took six years to complete.  From here, we were on our way to the next and final port of this cruise – Cartagena, Colombia with one day at sea before we get there. 

 

Since it was so warm this late afternoon, we stayed in our room and worked on photos and research for the day’s journey.  Our room heated up to almost 80 degrees despite the fact the thermostat was turned down as low as it could go.    We had the tower fan running all day, which did help.  And because the hallway outside our room was recently flooded, the fans had been running day and night to dry it up.

 

Since we still had some non-refundable shipboard credit, we paid a visit to the Shops and did find an Effy treasure to purchase.  We happened to be the only customers in the Shop at the time, so we had their undivided attention.    After the purchase was completed and one of us rang their bell, the salespeople posed with us for a group photo.   We still have a little more to spend under the “use it, or lose it” plan, and the “cashable” credit will be credited back to our card on file.   

 

Dinnertime found the upper dining room rather empty of guests.  Dinner for us was one spicy chicken creole salad, one Caesar salad, and mains of Kingston chicken with mac and cheese with a spoonful of coleslaw.   Quite different.   Dessert was ice cream – coffee and mint chip.  The Pinnacle Grill hosted the last of their pop-ups with the Tamarind venue. 

 

The “Tailor of Panama” was the Wajang movie, and the entertainer in the show lounge was Salvatore Hasard, an instrumentalist with “Life is Music”.   It was written that he is one of the most iconic headlining shows in the cruise industry.

 

We had a package from Luggage Forward with all of our tags left on our bed along with our pillow candies.  A reminder we have to get busy with the packing soon.   

 

Hope our room cools down so we can get a good night’s sleep.  Somehow we doubt it.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

340 Pictures