January 8, 2020

Roseau, Dominica



I had a really good night’s sleep – I cheated and took an Ambien.  Since I had no excursion today, I slept until about 9:30.



My plan was to just walk around the town which is what I did.  Nothing real exciting in town and my only purchase was a fridge magnet.  I was back on the ship by 11.



When I returned to the ship, I changed into my bathing suit and went to lunch in the Lido and then out to the Sea View pool to spend the afternoon.  I was able to get my half mile swim in even though a number of people came and went from the pool.



Sail-away and trivia were both set for 4:30.  Marilyn was my only teammate who showed up but she had to leave early for Mass.  I joined with people from other teams (who also had partners that weren’t there).  We did horribly with only 7 out of 17.  The winning team had 14.5.


1.The Volga River flows into which sea?

2.What is the name for a group of standing giraffes?

3.Which group of islands lie about 300 miles southwest of India?

4.What is opposite of claustrophobia?

5.Which island in the English Channel was known as Sarnia to the Romans?

6.Can giraffes swim?



After trivia I went out on the deck to watch our scenic sail around Dominica.  I watched the sun set before checking out the sail-away party which had already broken up.  We have less than 100 miles to go to St. Lucia tomorrow.

I moved to my new table with Mike and Kathy tonight.  Another lady, named Lenore, had also joined the table.  She has a roommate who is also supposed to be at the table but Lenore says she seldom goes to dinner.



We did not leave the dining room until 9:45 so I passed on the show which was a man who plays different musical instruments (I think I have seen him before).


Trivia

1.Caspian Sea

2.tower

3.Maldives

4.agoraphobia

5.Guernsey

6.no

three pictures from the pool deck 

scenic sail-away

 we sailed away just at sunset

after the sail-away party with the coast in the background



Smooth sailing until next time!

January 7, 2020

At Sea



I did not sleep well last night, waking up four times.  I think I am having issues with the pillows although I usually like the HAL pillows.


There were only four of us at knitting – Judy, Judy, Judy, and me.   I started a new pair of socks.


Five of us at trivia.  Margaret has left our team and trivia.  We are looking for someone to join us.  Today was not our day.  We had only 8 out of 15 with the winners having 11.


1.What bird lays an egg that is roughly a quarter of its body weight?

2.What is the oldest city in the world?

3.What famous general was once attacked by rabbits?

4.The “Buddha Hand” is a type of what?

5.Who is the most decorated Olympian of all time?

6.Who shot J.R.?



After trivia I returned to my cabin and worked on my Project Linus blanket before heading to the Lido for lunch.  Started reading a new cozy mystery.


In Arts & Crafts we made a daffodil pouch.  Afterwards, I sat by the pool in the sun until time for afternoon trivia.


Our afternoon winning streak came to an end.  We had 10 out of 15 and the winners had 14.


1.Which country eats the most potatoes per capita?

2.Name the terrestrial planets.

3.What is the full name of “good” cholesterol?

4.On which island was Nelson Mandela imprisoned for 27 years?

5.What is the correct terminology for the killing of a king?

6.What mineral is nicknamed “Alaskan diamond”?



Because there was music trivia tonight, I decided to eat in the Lido.  Music trivia was on the 50s and 60s and was one of those where points are freely given for singing and dancing along.  Sherita and I played with a couple we met, Sandy and Arnie.  Although we did not win, we had fun.



I skipped the show since I was getting sleepy after my lousy sleep last night.


Tomorrow is our first port – Roseau, Dominica. 



Morning trivia

1.kiwi

2.Damascus

3.Napoleon

4.fruit

5.Michael Phelps

6.Kristin


Afternoon trivia

1.Belarus (don’t feel bad - no team got it – they eat 181 kilos per person per year [that is 399 pounds!])

2.Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

3.high density lipoprotein

4.Robben Island

5.regicide

6.quartz

daffodil pouch

For Dixie Finn...

Explorations café has the above cardboard cover for coffee and paper straws

Smooth sailing until next time!

January 6, 2020


At Sea




We lost an hour of sleep last night so I slept to the new 9:45. On the last world cruise a group of us got together in the Crow’s Nest at 10 for knitting, crocheting, etc.  We had not set up anything this time but I knew I needed to go to the “Sit, Knit, Needlework, Project Linus, and More” in the Explorer’s Lounge at 10:30.  I had made six blankets for Project Linus at home and wanted to turn them in.  Lots of yarn is donated each year and a few hundred blankets are made onboard.  These are given to children in need in hospitals, shelters, etc.  Holland America partners with the Project Linus organization and sends the yarn to the ship and the finished blankets to the organization.  I picked up some yarn that I will work on in my cabin to make another blanket.

I met the three Judys from 2018 (I knew two were on the cruise but did not know the third one was – she was the lady who taught me how to knit socks).  We all agreed that unless you had a window seat, the light in the Explorer’s Lounge was not good and we will start meeting in the Crow’s Nest tomorrow.


Trivia was at 11:45.  I forgot to mention yesterday that there are no prizes for trivia anymore.  When I first started cruising with Holland America, the prizes were usually HAL pins from different regions (Panama Canal, Pacific, Alaska, etc.) or sometimes a free drink for each person in the group.  Then they went to vouchers that could be turned in for Amazon gift cards for everyone who participated.  Now they say they have stopped the vouchers to save paper.  We are playing just for fun. 



We only had five players (Margaret did not come today).  We once again had 9 out of 15 correct with the winners having 11 correct.


1.How many eggs is a Queen Bee capable of laying each day – 200, 1000, or 2000?

2.What type of bird is on the flag of Dominica?

3.What was the first city to reach a population of 1 million?

4.What is the top selling brand of cookie in the US?

5.English artist Andy Brown created a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with what?

6.Which side of a book are the even pages usually on?



I returned to my cabin and started on my Project Linus blanket before heading to lunch.  Sat after lunch reading while waiting for Arts & Crafts.  Today we made a lanyard pouch.



Afternoon trivia was at 4 pm. Our standard five were present.  Once again, we won with 14.5 out of 17.


1.How many states are in Australia?

2.Which Kevin Costner opus was the most expensive movie ever made until Titanic?

3.What island off the coast of Venezuela has the world’s largest asphalt lake? (we missed this one)

4.What was the first Arnold Schwarzenegger movie to win four Academy Awards?

5.What river were Lewis and Clark hoping the Missouri would connect with?

6.What company developed the Pentium processor for computers?



After trivia I rushed back to my cabin to change for the first “Gala” night.  The Captain’s Welcome Aboard Reception started at 4:30 but he did not actually introduce the officers until 5pm so I made it with time to spare.  I had decided to eat at Sherita’s early sitting table (much like I had my "other table" in 2019) since the couple I will be eating with were not going to be in the dining room tonight and I did not wish to eat alone again.   I had a margarita at the reception and then grabbed another one as I was leaving to take to dinner.



Gala Night meals are usually very good and tonight was no exception.  I had a jumbo shrimp cocktail (although the shrimp were more “large” than “jumbo”), a cold three berry minestrone (not sure why it was called minestrone) soup, surf and turf, and a raspberry tart for dessert.



Went to the show after dinner.  The performer was John Bressler a pianist, composer, and comedian.  It was a good show.  After usually going to the late show, with very few in attendance, it was amazing to see most seats filled in The Mainstage.



One more sea day before our first port – Roseau, Dominica.



Morning trivia

1.2000

2.parrot

3.Rome

4.Oreos

5.tea bags

6.left



Afternoon trivia

1.6

2.Waterworld

3.Trinidad

4.Terminator 2

5.Columbia (Rodney, the Australian, knew this one)

6.Intel

 We were off the coast of the Dominican Republic most of the day

 Cruise Director Hamish Davis

 Captain Jonathan Mercer

 the officers

the Lanyard we made

Smooth sailing until next time!

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!