January 5, 2020



At Sea



After a good 8 hours of sleep, I woke up at 8:45.  Today was our first Cruise Critic Meet and Greet.  We had a huge turnout – probably over 200 people.  Being the second time I started the roll call and having to actually speak in front of everyone, I am getting better at it and wasn’t really nervous.  HAL provided coffee, tea, some muffins and cookies and most everything was gone by the end.  We had a sign-up sheet for a Cabin Crawl (where you go around the ship and see different types of cabins) and had about 25 people sign up.  I finally got to see Marilyn and Rodney (Australian trivia partners from 2018) after looking for them yesterday.



At 11:45 we met for trivia.  It was in the Ocean Bar and the place was packed.  We met up with Diana (who was another member of our 2018 team) and we formed a team.  We have six members (the maximum) – Rodney, Marilyn, Diana, Sherita, Margaret (also from Australia), and me.  We did not have a great start with only 9 out of 15.  The winning team had 13.  As a request from two of my die-hard readers (just for you, Frances and Nancy), I will be posting the answers before the pictures.

1.  A “skulk” is the name for a group of which animals?

2.  “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” was the working title for what 1936 novel?

3.  Traditionally in the UK, what food is eaten the day before Ash Wednesday?

4.  Mycology is the study of what?

5.  What country won the first World Cup?

6.  What is the only sea without any coast?

After trivia I had lunch in the Lido and read for awhile out on deck to try to get warm.  The temperature onboard has been very cold (I even turned my cabin thermostat to warming rather than cooling).  Today has been mostly overcast with the sun only peeking out a time or two.  Air temperature was only in the low 70s.


We met for Arts & Crafts at 2:30. Nancy Grace is the instructor again (she was also on the 2018 GWV) and I enjoy her crafts.  She handed out the schedule and talked about some of the things we will be making starting tomorrow.


Since there had been so many people at morning trivia, I went up to the Crow’s Nest early to get seats for us.  The dance class was meeting up there and they were packed in.  In the past they have met in the Showroom. 


We had five for afternoon trivia (Margaret does not play in the afternoon).  The acoustics were terrible in the Crow’s Nest and it was a major undertaking just to hear the questions.  We persevered, however, and tied with another team with a winning score of 16 out of 17.

1.   What continent is home to five of the eight longest rivers?

2.  The developers of Snapchat attended which west coast university?

3.  In “The Life of Pi”, which animal was named Richard Parker?

4.  What was the gift for the 12^th day of Christmas in the song?

5.  How many US states begin with the word “New”?

6.  What is the maximum number of clubs you can carry in golf – 10, 14, or 18? (the one we missed)

After trivia I went to visit Sherita’s cabin.  She was not very happy with hers (she had a guarantee, also) because of its location on the deck with the walking promenade around it and because it was further forward than she liked.  It also turned out to be a few feet shorter than mine (I have an extra closet and about three feet from the end of the bed to the desk – she has only a few inches).  She then came down to see my cabin.


After Sherita left I finally unpacked all my shawls from the compression bags I brought them in.  I cut it down from all that I have made and only brought 22!  I really need to start making something else!!! 


I was the only one at the dinner table tonight.  Turns out only one other person was assigned to the table for six.  Along the back window there are no more than four at any of the tables.  Seems rather strange not to put people together at a few tables instead of putting a couple at a number of tables.  The maître d’ came over to talk with me and arrangements have been made for me to move to the table where Kathy and Mike are sitting (I was at the same table with them in 2018).  There is another couple assigned to that table but they have not been either night so it may be just the three of us.
  

Since I was finished dinner early, I swung by Guest Services because I had been charged a second time for the internet package.  This happened to a number of people but it should all be straightened out now.


Went to the show entitled “On Tour” with the Amsterdam Entertainers (used to be called the singers and dancers).  They did a variety of songs mainly from the 70s and 80s.  It was a good show.


When I returned to my cabin we had pillow gifts which was rather unusual because we normally get them on Gala Nights, the first of which is tomorrow night.




Morning trivia

1.  Foxes

2.  Gone With the Wind

3.  Pancakes

4.  Fungi

5.  Uruguay

6.  Sargasso

Afternoon trivia

1.  Asia

2.  Stanford

3.  Tiger

4.  Drummers

5.  4

6.  14

                                    Usual large crowd 

 Nancy Grace

 all of the crafts we will do

 for my knitting friends here are the shawls, capelets, and stoles I brought with me

 Messenger bag

                                      Lanyard and diary

Tote bag

Smooth sailing until next time!

January 4, 2020



Leaving Fort Lauderdale



I woke up just before 8 am because luggage collection began at 8:30. Cruise Specialists has the bags collected and brought to the ship so I had only to take care of my carry-on.  Since they had well over 100 rooms to collect from, they did not get to me until 9:35.  My assigned bus time was 10:00, so as soon as they took my bags I went to the lobby, checked out, and waited for the bus.


The bus left the hotel at 10:15 and arrived at pier 26 at 10:40 (there were seven ships in port so there was a lot of congestion). First we went through security and then waited in a long line to check-in.  It took almost an hour but Sherita and I were in line together so we could talk to pass the time.

After checking in we could go directly onto the ship.  I was in my cabin by noon, took some pictures, and went to the Lido for lunch.
  

When I returned to my cabin, my first suitcase had arrived so I unpacked it.  After the lack of storage space in my 2018 cabin, I was amazed by all the closets in this one.  My second one arrived just as I was finishing up the first so I unpacked it as well.


The first stage of the muster drill began at 3:45 and it finished up just before 4:30.  It was then time for the sail-away party.  The Station Band played, some danced, and much alcohol was consumed.  I met a number of people from the 2018 GWV as well as some who knew me from Cruise Critic or the blog.  After a couple of margaritas I went up to “my deck” (the area in front of my cabin in 2018 on deck 6) and watched two of the Holland America ships leave and then Adventure of the Seas.  We were the only one left.  The captain announced that we were delayed because all the provisions and luggage had not been loaded.


I returned to my cabin and suitcase #3 had arrived which I emptied just before #4 was delivered.  I had enough time to empty it before we started to sail away close to 7.  It had started to rain by that time so I stood on the Promenade Deck as we sailed out of Fort Lauderdale.


I arrived to dinner a little before 8 and am at a table for six by the back windows.  Only one other person showed up but she is moving tomorrow night to be at her usual table with friends.  There were very few people in the dining room so hopefully I will have some tablemates tomorrow.  If not, Kathy and Mike (from the 2018 GWV) invited me to sit at their table.  We were given a pretty rose as we left the dining room.


There was no show tonight.

Waiting to board

My cabin - 1907

The first closet - closest to the door

Next two - there are double doors

 The third closet (I am not using the bottom area to hang clothes  - I don't need the space)

the final closet - I folded up the top shelf and have  day clothes hanging here and using my fold-up boxes with swimming stuff in them on the bottom shelf

the older HAL ships do not have a fridge so I rented one for $60

 I asked for the bed to be split but it didn't happen - I am going to leave it for now to see if I can see enough out of my window as is

 seating area

 more storage

HAL has stopped wrapping the pre-made sandwiches to save paper - I think they will waste more in food because the sandwiches will not stay fresh

Two pictures from the sail-away party

the rose from dinner

Smooth sailing until next time.

January 3, 2020

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

I was wiped out by 10:30 last night and I slept ten hours.  I headed out to the pool about 10.  It was a lovely day and I was able to get my half mile swim in and sit on the pool deck before the sun was blocked by the hotel building around 1:30.

I stopped by the Cruise Specialists table in the lobby and was able to meet Sharon, my agent.  It was good to finally meet her in person.

As I had nothing else I needed to do, I took the 2 pm shuttle over to the Broward Mall.  I didn't find anything I couldn't live without but I did have a yummy pretzel (from Auntie Anne's) and a lemonade.

Returned to the hotel at 3:30 and watched the ships sail out of Fort Lauderdale on the webcam before getting ready for dinner.

The travel agency I use, Cruise Specialists, always has a cocktail party and dinner before the Grand World Voyage.  I saw quite a few people I knew including four people from the same dinner table on the 2018 GWV.  Sherita and I were able to catch up on things (since the Grand South American cruise) and ate at the same table along with four other people I've met on past cruises.

We had a salad, chicken and mashed potatoes, and tiramisu.  After dinner, Orlando Ashford (HAL president) spoke for a few minutes. He announced that we had two teenage girls doing the entire cruise with their parents and that his wife and 14 year old son were also doing the entire voyage.  Gerald Bernhoft, the director of the HAL Mariner Society (the loyalty program) spoke.  The dinner broke up around 8:45.

Tomorrow is the big day so I am hoping to go to bed early (for me) after the 11 pm news.

My hotel room is fairly typical but does have some unusual art.

not sure what it is supposed to be but it has its own spotlight

the inside of the bathroom door

                                      the beautiful pool 

spot the lizard in the bush by the pool

                           at the Cruise Specialists dinner

                         Orlando Ashford

The Cruise Specialist vest and bag with the 2020 GWV logo

Smooth sailing until next time!

January 2, 2020

The adventure begins!

I always like to fly to the port two days early since a few years ago one of my suitcases stayed in Atlanta while I went on to Fort Lauderdale - luckily it showed up at 1:30 am on departure day.  This was too close for comfort for me!

Once again, I chose not to go to sleep Wednesday night (I am a night owl so it wasn't too bad). My daughter picked me up at 4 am and took me to the Richmond airport.  We arrived around 4:30 and as she pulled away, I realized I had left my driver's license at home.  Thank goodness I have Global Entry because it is a government issued ID with my picture on it so I can get back on the ship in the ports where they check (some ports only want to see your ship card).

There was no line for JetBlue so I checked my luggage in quickly.  There were not many people in the security line and none in the TSA pre-checked one so that took maybe two minutes.

The plane loaded on time and we pulled out a few minutes early.  There was a man in the window seat (he slept the entire way) and I had the aisle seat so there was plenty of space.

We landed early and was off the plane about 25 minutes early.  After I collected my checked bag I went to the HAL desk (which is where I went two years ago) but there was some kind of mix-up about my transfer to the hotel.  The nice representative checked my paperwork and put me in a shuttle to the hotel (Renaissance Fort Lauderdale-Plantation Hotel).

I was in my hotel room by 9 am.  I promptly took everything out of my suitcase to hang up my clothes for the next few days and shift some things to the fold-up duffle bag I had stuffed in my overstuffed suitcase (it weighed 47 pounds).  I knew I would buy a few necessities in Fort Lauderdale so I needed the space.

By 10 am I had run out of steam - I had been awake 23 hours at that point.  A nap was in order and an hour and a half sleep pepped me back up.  It was a beautiful day in Fort Lauderdale with the temperature in the high 70s so I went to the pool.  The water was a tad cool but I stayed in for over an hour.  I met up with a man I met on the 2018 GWV and we talked until the hotel blocked the sun from the pool and it got chilly in the water.

I headed to the shopping center (Pine Island Plaza) which is less than a half mile away.  You have to cross three very busy streets to get there but they have pedestrian crosswalk lights.  I walked through a number of stores but spent the longest in the Dollar Tree where I picked up a few things (gotta love the dollar store).

By 4 pm I was ready for lunch/dinner.  Two years ago I ate at the Mexican restaurant in the shopping center and had a great meal so I wanted to go back.  Had a wonderful taco salad and three glasses of iced tea (which I drink all the time but the stuff on the ship is horrible so I won't get any for months).  A couple from our Cruise Critic roll call introduced themselves at dinner (and I have seen others during the day).  I wanted to get back to the hotel before sunset so I didn't have to navigate the busy streets in the dark and made it with a few minutes to spare.

It is supposed to be nice tomorrow so I plan to spend quite some time at the pool before the Cruise Specialists (my travel agency) cocktail party and dinner on Friday.

Smooth sailing until next time!

December 28, 2019

Not much longer!

There is just one week to go before the cruise begins. I have been busy this past week getting ready.

The week began with my getting my cabin assigned.  This is my first cruise taking a "guarantee".  With a guarantee, you can often get upgraded (no charge) to a better category of cabin.  I did not have any specific cabin in mind as I have in the past so a guarantee worked for me.  As it turns out, I was upgraded from an "F" category (which I paid for) to a "D" category which is actually a four category upgrade (EE, E, DA, and then D).  My cabin is much further aft then any cabin I have ever had so we will see how I like it - I always book forward cabins and often the front-facing ones.  It is also considered "mid-ship" which is often the most expensive for each category.

This week I have been completing small things that need to be done like getting a haircut, picking up some cash, filling out travel memos for my credit cards, buying a few last minute clothes, etc.

Today I put away the Christmas things and brought my suitcase in from the shed.  Although I have not started packing the case, I do have things laid out and my packing list is complete (I hope!).

I leave for Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, before dawn.   I will be doing daily reports starting then.  Be sure to sign up for e-mails to be sent to you when I make a new post.

For those of you on Cruise Critic, I will also be doing a "Live from..." report which will be the same as this blog except I will only post pictures here, not on Cruise Critic.  This is my seventh blog and, I am ashamed to say, I have just figured out to make the pictures larger so you will no longer have to squint to see them!

Smooth sailing until next time!

December 16, 2019


After having an extra bag or box to send home at the end of my three long cruises, I decided to start with an extra suitcase this time.  I am shipping three (HAL pays for two) and I will be taking a smaller suitcase with me on the plane with clothes for my two days in Fort Lauderdale and those items that cannot be shipped ahead (medicines, electronics, jewelry, etc.).  

FedEx is scheduled to pick up my bags later today between noon and 4 pm.  The two previous times they picked up my bags they were closer to noon.

Only two and a half weeks until I leave!

Smooth sailing until next time!

Itinerary

Here is our itinerary:  

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (04 Jan d1700);
Roseau, Dominica (08 Jan 0800-1700);
Castries, St Lucia (09 Jan 0800-1700);
Iles Du Salut, French Guiana (11 Jan 1200-1800);
Belem, Brazil (13 Jan 0800-1700);
Recife, Brazil (16 Jan 0800-1700);
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (19 Jan 0800(+1)1700);
Punta Del Este, Uruguay (23 Jan 0800-1600);
Buenos Aires, Argentina (24 Jan 0800-1800);
Montevideo, Uruguay (25 Jan 0800-1700);
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands (28 Jan 0800-1700);
Ushuaia, Argentina (05 Feb 0700-1400);
Punta Arenas, Chile (06 Feb 0800-2000);
Puerto Montt, Chile (09 Feb 0800-1700);
San Antonio, Chile (11 Feb 0700-1700);
Easter Island, Chile (16 Feb 0800-1800);
Pitcairn Island (19 Feb 0800-1200);
Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia (22 Feb 0800-1800);
Rarotonga, Cook Islands (24 Feb 0800-1700);
Nukualofa, Tonga (28 Feb 0800-1700);
Auckland, New Zealand (02 Mar 0700(+1)1800);
Bay of Islands, New Zealand (04 Mar 0800-1600);
Sydney, Australia (07 Mar 0800(+1)1900);
Townsville, Australia (11 Mar 0800-1700);
Cairns, Australia (12 Mar 0800-1800);
Darwin, Australia (16 Mar 0800-1700);
Komodo Island, Indonesia (19 Mar 0700-1600);
Bali, Indonesia (20 Mar 0800-1800);
Surabaya, Indonesia (22 Mar 0700-1600);
Semarang, Indonesia (23 Mar 0700-1800);
Singapore (25 Mar 0900(+1)1700);
Colombo, Sri Lanka (30 Mar 0800-2300);
Male, Maldives (01 Apr 0800-1800);
Mahe, Seychelles (04 Apr 1200(+1)1700);
Mombasa, Kenya (08 Apr 0800(+1)1700);
Zanzibar, Tanzania (10 Apr 0800-1700);
Mayotte, Comoros (12 Apr 0800-1700);
Nosy Be, Madagascar (13 Apr 0800-1600);
Maputo, Mozambique (16 Apr 0800-1700);
Richard's Bay, South Africa (17 Apr 0800-2300);
Durban, South Africa (18 Apr 0800-2300);
Cape Town, South Africa (21 Apr 0800(+1)2300);
Luderitz, Namibia (24 Apr 0800-1700);
Walvis Bay, Namibia (25 Apr 0800-1600);
Saint Helena (28 Apr 1000-1800);
Ascension Island (30 Apr 1000-1800);
Bridgetown, Barbados (07 May 0800-1800);
Pointe A Pitre, Guadeloupe (08 May 0800-1500);
San Juan, Puerto Rico (09 May 1000-2300);
Fort Lauderdale, Florida (12 May a0700)