- How Much Does it Cost to Go on a World Cruise? Part 3 – Onboard Spending and Calculator
- Holland America SELLS OUT 2017 World Cruise Inside Cabins – Segments still avail for less the $5,000 per cabin!
- How much does it cost to go on a world cruise? Part 2 – Pre and Post Cruise Expenses
- Amazing end of cruise video!
- How much does it cost to go on a world cruise? Part 1
- PACKING FOR A WORLD CRUISE
- That’s Entertainment!
- Opening the Package! What is inside?
- Day 132, San Diego, California
- Day 131, Sailing toward San Diego, California
- Day 130, Sailing toward San Diego, California
- Day 129, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Day 128, Sailing toward Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Day 127, Huatulco, Mexico
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- Day 126, Puerto Chiapas, Mexico
- Day 125, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
- Day 124, Corinto, Nicaragua
- Day 123, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Day 122, Sailing toward Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Day 121, Transiting the Panama Canal
- Day 120, Cartagena, Colombia
- Day 119, Sailing towards Cartagena
- Day 118, Sailing towards Cartagena
- Day 117, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
- Day 116, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Day 115, April 29, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 114, April 28, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 113, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 112, April 26, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 111, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 110, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 109, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 108, Funchal, Portugal
- Day 107, Sailing toward Funchal, Portugal
- Day 106, Cadiz, Spain
- Day 105, Sailing toward Cadiz
- Day 104, Barcelona, Spain
- Day 103, Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Day 102, Livorno, Italy
- Menus and On Locations updated…more posts coming soon
- Day 101, Civitavecchia, Italy
- Day 100, Sailing toward Civitavecchia, Italy
- Day 99, Katakolon, Greece
- Day 98, Piraeus (Athens,) Greece
- Day 97, Sailing toward Piraeus, Greece
- Day 96, Ashdod, Israel
- Day 95, Haifa, Israel
- Day 94, Transiting the Suez Canal
- Day 93, Sailing toward the Suez Canal
- Day 92, Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 91, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 90, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 89, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 88, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 87, Salalah, Oman
- Day 86, Sailing toward Salalah, Oman
- Day 85, Muscat, Oman
- Day 84, Sailing toward Muscat
- Day 83, Dubai, UAE
- Day 82, Dubai, UAE
- Day 81, New Delhi to Dubai
- Day 80, New Delhi, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)
- Day 79, Agra, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)
- Day 78, Agra, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)
- Day 77, Colombo, Sri Lanka to New Delhi, India
- Day 76, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Day 75, Hambantota, Sri Lanka
- Day 74, Sailing toward Hambantota, Sri Lanka
- Day 73, Sailing toward Hambantota, Sri Lanka
- Day 72, Phuket, Thailand
- Day 71, Sailing toward Phuket, Thailand
- Day 70, Singapore
- Day 69, Singapore
- Day 68, Singapore
- Day 67, Sailing toward Singapore
- Day 66; Siem Reap to Sihanoukville – while Amsterdam is moored at Sihanoukville
- Day 65, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Ms Amsterdam sailing toward Sihanoukville
- Day 64. Phu My, Vietnam
- Day 63, Sailing toward Phu My, Vietnam
- Day 62, Da Nang, Viet Nam
- Day 61, Da Nang, Vietnam
- Day 60, Sailing toward Da Nang
- Day 59, Hong Kong
- Day 58, Hong Kong
- Day 57, Hong Kong
- Day 56, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 55, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 54, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 53, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 52, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Day 51, Semarang, Java, Indonesia
- Day 50, Sailing towards Semarang, Indonesia
- Day 49, Benoa, Bali, Indonesia
- Day 48, Sailing toward Benoa, Indonesia
- Day 47, Sailing toward Benoa, Indonesia
- Day 46, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Day 45, Sailing towards Darwin, Australia
- Day 44, Sailing towards Darwin, Australia
- Day 43, Sailing towards Darwin, Australia
- Day 42, Cairns, Australia
- Day 41, Townsville, Australia
- Day 40, Sailing towards Townsville
- Day 39, Sailing towards Townsville
- Day 38, Sailing towards Townsville
- Day 37, Sydney, Australia
- Day 36, Sydney, Australia
- Day 35, Sailing toward Sydney Australia
- Day 34, Melbourne, Australia
- Day 33, Sailing toward Melbourne
- Day 32, Sailing toward Melbourne
- Day 31, Sailing toward Melbourne, Australia
- Day 30, Picton New Zealand
- Day 29, Sailing toward Picton, New Zealand
- Day 28, Auckland, New Zealand
- Day 27, Waitangi (Bay of Islands) New Zealand
- Day 26, Sailing towards Waitangi
- Day 25, Sailing towards Waitangi
- Day 24, Sailing towards Waitangi
- Day 23, Sailing toward Waitangi, New Zealand
- Day 22, Avatiu, Rarotonga
- Day 21, Sailing toward Avatiu, Rarotonga
- Day 20, Moorea, French Polynesia
- Day 19, Papeete, Tahiti and taking the ferry to Mo’orea
- Day 18 – Avatoru, Rangiroa
- Day 17, Sailing toward Avatoru
- Day 16, Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia
- Day 15, Sailing toward Nuku Hiva
- Day 14, Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 13, Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 12 – Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 11 – Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 10, At Sea – Enroute Nuku Hiva
- Day 9 – At Sea enroute to Nuku Hiva
- Day 8 – At Sea enroute to Nuku Hiva
- Day 7 – Fuerte Amador, Panama
- Day 6- Cruising the Panama Canal
- Day 5 – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
- Day 4 – At Sea Enroute to Costa Rica
- Day 3 – Cruising the Carribean
- Day 2 – At Sea – Enroute Costa Rica
- Day 1- The Grand Voyage Begins! 115 Days
- Day D-1 Arriving in Fort Lauderdale
- Day D-2 Leaving Imperial Beach, California
Sunrise over Great Barrier Reef
Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula was off our port side today as we cruised north thru the Great Barrier Reef which is made up of 900 islands and over 2,900 individual reefs. While you can’t see the underwater reefs from the ship, the numerous islands of the Great Barrier Reef surrounded the ship all day as we made our way northbound to the Torres Strait where we will turn west toward Darwin. We had expected higher heat and humidity today as we continue further north towards the equator, but the temperature stayed in the 80’s and was fairly pleasant in the shade. When you ventured under the direct sun, things would heat up quickly, so we spent the day inside or in the shade.
We were supposed to anchor off Sherrard Island today around 6pm and leave early tomorrow morning. They say the scenery and sunsets here can be quite spectacular. The Captain announced today that this stop was cancelled since we would be there after sunset and there would be nothing to see. He could speed up and make it prior to sunset but that would involve running an extra diesel at a cost of $15K. There was also an issue with deck officers getting enough rest as we would have to navigate certain waters very early requiring more people on the bridge. What is puzzling is why this was on the official schedule in the first place if they had no intention of getting there prior to sunset and had these issues with crew rest. I guess it’s possible that our late departure from Cairns played a role, but that was never mentioned. I didn’t have any expectation about seeing Sherrard Island, but a few people on board were very disappointed.
The first day after any port is a day we catch up on sleep and spend most of the day relaxing in our cabin. Yesterday’s heat sapped a lot of our energy so it was nice to stay in the air-conditioned spaces for most of the day and recharge.
Dale Kristien on GMA
Dale Kristien, last night’s guest entertainer, was the guest on Good Morning Amsterdam this morning. The theatre was packed and I have never seen it more crowded for Good Morning Amsterdam all cruise. Dale discussed how her family consisted of two sets of twins and how she discovered her singing talent when she won the lead role in High School Musical production during her senior year.
Afternoon Lecture
Mel Foster
Story of 9 Irish Convicts
Judy attended the 2pm lecture by Mel Foster who spoke about Australia’s First Settlers, Swindlers, Doxies, Debtors and Thieves. She found the lecture quite interesting and Mel is an excellent presenter. Of particular interest was the ultimate fate of 9 Irish Convicts deported to Australia in 1848, particularly that of Charles Duffy who ended up being the Premier of Victoria much to the surprise of the British who now had to deal with the former traitor on an official level.
Afterward she attended Crafts where they made an Origami Turtle while I played the in the Texas Hold’em tournament. My luck was not with me today and I finished in the middle of the pack.
I ran into Dale Kristen while waiting for Good Moring Amsterdam to start this morning and invited her to join us for dinner. She accepted and we had a wonderful time listening to her discuss her career in show business ranging from playing Christine Daie over 1700 times in the Phantom of the Opera to a maid on “Days of our Lives”. She will be leaving us in Bali and head to the Ms Rotterdam for her next gig before she heads home to Los Angeles.
Gary Guthman
Gary Guthman with plunger mute
Gary Guthman, Trumpet Virtuoso, was the guest entertainer and demonstrated his mastery of the trumpet. He played a variety of Swing era songs followed by a wonderful medley of Dixieland tunes. He ended the show with a beautiful rendition of “What a Wonderful Life” made famous by Louis Armstrong.
Sunset over Great Barrier Reef