January 11, 2020



Devil’s Island (or close thereto), French Guiana



I had decided long ago (as in March 16, 2019 when I was here before) that I would not be going ashore.  Here is a link to my post for that day - https://2019halgv.blogspot.com/2019/03/march16-2019-devilsisland-not-really.html .  

Since I had been up to just after 2 am trying to get the video to load, I slept until after 10.  I tried again when I woke up but was still unsuccessful.
  

As I was finishing up, Hamish (the CD) started making announcements about getting tendering tickets.  On the 2018 world cruise there was no priority tendering because almost everyone qualified – 4*, 5*, and President’s Club members.  We had received a note yesterday saying there would be priority tendering this year.  I wonder if they got a lot of bad comments about not having the perk.


I went to the Lido for lunch at 11:30 (when it opens) and then headed out to the pool afterwards.  I swam for an hour and then sat in the sun for almost 90 minutes.  When I returned to my cabin I tried once more to load the video.  I even downloaded an app to cut down the length of the video in hopes that would speed up loading the video – still didn’t work.


Headed to the Crow’s Nest at 4 with my laptop in hopes that leaving it uploading during trivia would work (it didn’t).
  

Only Diana, Sherita, and I were there so we joined with Janet (Sherita and I met her on the Prinsendam last year) and her teammate, Sabena.  We had 19 out of 22 but the winning team had 21.


1.What team sport has a foul called “submerging”?

2.If you ordered a “carpetbagger steak” in Sydney, your beef would be stuffed with what seafood?

3.What restauranteur kicked the bucket in 1980?

4.What is the largest bay in the world?

5.What leader did Marco Polo say had strange powers over animals?

6.Where is the human skin the thickest?



After trivia I gave up on the video and decided to take some still shots from it to post.  I had received a message that the resizing app I use needed updating yesterday, which I did.  When I went to resize the still shots it would not work.  I needed to leave the Crow’s Nest because the sail-away party was getting ready to start.  I walked out on the deck and watched as we were leaving.



Upon my return to my cabin, I decided that maybe uninstalling the resize app and then reinstalling might fix the problem.  Turns out it worked!



Four of us for dinner.  I had a really good but strange sounding cold soup.  It had apples, pears, and eggnog in it – delicious.  I have been having one of the cold soups almost every night and I have liked them all.



I had not gone to see the comedian, Tim Kaminski, the first time but I had heard good things from everyone who had gone.  I decided to give him a try and he was funny without anything vulgar or profane.  I don’t always find the comedians funny but I liked him.



Trivia

1.water polo

2.oysters

3.Colonel Sanders

4.Hudson Bay

5.Kublai Khan

6.on the back

 Ile Royale

      Unusual group of people on the pilot boat

Ile Saint Joseph

 (My pictures loaded in under two minutes tonight. ????)



Smooth sailing until next time!

January 10, 2020



At Sea



Started my day with knitting in the Crow’s Nest.  Only three of us present – Judy (who taught me socks), Sherita, and I. 



All five of us were at morning trivia.  We had 10 out of 15 and the winners had 12.

1.Ailurophobia is the fear of what?

2.What does a V with a bar over it represent in Roman Numerals?

3.Who has the most hair follicles – blonds, brunettes, or redheads?

4.What cooking fuel is produced by heating wood without oxygen?

5.What is the largest number of children born to one woman – 29, 49, or 69?

6.What Tennessee Williams’ play includes the characters Big Daddy and Big Momma?



After working on my Project Linus blanket for about 30 minutes, I went to the Lido for lunch.  I sat with Judy and Sherita during Arts & Crafts where we made a necklace.



There was no swimming today.  If you watch the video you will see why.



Afternoon trivia has been changed to 4:30 from 4 pm.  We thought it was only on port days but today it was at 4:30 also.  We only had four players but won with 14 out of 16.

1.Which space shuttle flew the most missions (39) between 1984 and when it was retired in 2011?

2.What was the nickname of Tom Cruise’s character in Top Gun?

3.Which country produces the most major league baseball players per capita?

4.What online movie ticked company shares its name with a Spanish dance?

5.Which large retailer dropped a star and added a starburst to its name in 2008?

6.  Order these countries in order from largest population to smallest – India, China, Indonesia, U.S., Brazil.  (this was worth two points)



Marilyn and I sat and talked after trivia (I wanted her ideas on what to do in Darwin) and then I got ready for dinner.  Tonight was the second Gala Night.  Once again, I watched Diane in the Piano Bar before dinner.  Lenore’s cabinmate came to dinner tonight so we finally got to meet her.



After dinner was the Grand Gala Party with dancing to the music of the Station Band at The Mainstage.  There was a “Chocolate Surprise” towards the end of the party with various chocolate treats being passed out.  Most were dark chocolate so they did not appeal to me. I watched the dancing for a bit and then returned to my cabin.



Devil’s Island tomorrow.



Morning trivia

1.cats

2.5000

3.blonds

4.charcoal

5.69

6.Cat on a Hot Tin Roof



Afternoon trivia

1.Discovery

2.Maverick

3.Dominican Republic

4.Fandango

5.Wal-Mart

6.China, India, US, Indonesia, Brazil

the necklace we made

After trying a number of times over an 18 hour period, I gave up trying to load the video so here are some still shots from it.  The Captain said we were hitting force 8 winds on the Beaufort Scale which was why many of the outdoor decks were blocked off as well as the pools being netted.

Smooth sailing until next time!

January 9, 2020



Castries, St. Lucia



I slept well again and woke up after we had arrived in port.  For one of the few days during the entire world cruise, we were in port with two other ships – Carnival Fascination and Freedom of the Seas.



I am not being a very good tourist as I did not book a tour today either.  Walking around was my plan again.  To get out of the port area you had to walk through the duty free shops which were very busy with the people from Freedom OTS (it can hold a maximum of 4900!) – I did not see many people from our ship shopping. 



To get into town I chose to take the ferry which was $5 roundtrip.  I walked around the main street which was very busy and looked at the two craft markets which were close by.  I bought my magnet and something for the grandkids so I did my part for the economy.



After taking the ferry back to the ship, I had lunch and then headed to the pool.  I swam for an hour and had the pool to myself for most of that time.  I then sat out (it was a mixture of sun and clouds and we even had a short drizzle) for another hour.



All aboard was at 4:30 and that was also the time of trivia.  I was the only one from my team so I joined the team next to me who was also missing people.  Surprisingly, we tied another team with 13 out of 17 for the win.


1.How many eyes are on a US$1 bill?  (No cheating!)

2.What animal did the Romans call a Camelopardalis because they thought it looked like a cross between a camel and a leopard?

3.What image was on the first jigsaw puzzle – a church, a map of England, or a windmill?

4.What New England state was an independent republic for 14 years?

5.What country gave up their escudo and adopted the Euro in 2002?

6.What Southern hemisphere country is the largest producer of wool?



We started pulling away from the pier as trivia finished.  I went out on the deck to watch the sail-away.  We had a sudden downpour that sent people scurrying.  Once the rain passed I returned to the deck and watched us sail out until time to get ready for dinner.



On past cruises I have stopped by the Piano Bar before dinner because it was on my way to the dining room.  I had not done so yet this cruise (and it is a tad out of the way since I am towards the aft) but I had extra time so I decided to do so.  The piano entertainer is Diane Slagle from Ketchikan.  She played a number of songs upon request (I asked for “Somewhere Beyond the Sea”).  She starts at 7:30 (dinner is at 8) while in previous years the piano entertainer started at 7 and finished about 7:45.  I’ve noticed a number of times on this cruise (including early sitting and trivia) that differed from previous cruises.



Four of us were present for dinner.  The entertainment was a magician so instead I went to the Crow’s Nest to watch the Station Band perform.  I don’t think I ever did that on the 2018 GWV other than the time we crossed the Equator and the Prime Meridian at the same time.  There were only about twelve people in the Crow’s Nest and I left after about twenty minutes to write the blog.



We lose another hour tonight.



Trivia

1.4

2.giraffe

3.map of England

4.Vermont

5.Portugal

6.Australia

"my" boat

 the ubiquitous Subway - did you know it is the largest restaurant operator in the world?

people cleared out quickly when the rain started but many returned afterwards

This morning my pictures loaded very quickly - go figure!

Smooth sailing until next time!

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!