- 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
- Subscribe to this blog! – Check box at bottom of this page
- 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
The guests for Good Morning Amsterdam were Black Label artist Tara, Zed the Jeweler and Teresa the Belly Dancer. Tara mentioned that there hasn’t been much activity in the Black Label studio and that plenty of good appointment times were still available. Teresa will be holding classes at 1pm in the Crow’s Nest and is also selling beaded veils in the Sports Bar.
Teresa was selling these items at the Sports Bar
Barbara discussed our two Israel ports, Haifa and Ashdod. The Amsterdam will be in Haifa on a Saturday when most everything will be closed until sunset. We are scheduled for an all day tour, so that shouldn’t affect us too much. Barbara didn’t discuss any special security issues concerning these two ports.
Barbara briefing Haifa port
Another Sunday at sea meant, another Sunday brunch, and with only one more Sunday at sea remaining on the cruise, the folks at our table decided to skip breakfast and meet at 11 am to give the Brunch a try. We arrived for Sunday Brunch a little after they opened at 11 am and were seated at a rectangular table along the windows on the starboard side. After a little chit chat we started thru the buffet line armed with large dinner plates. First stop was the delightful pastry table with mounds of delicious looking, breads, rolls and muffins. The buffet has two identical lines on either side of the dining room. For my first pass thru I selected some salmon, a few jumbo shrimp with sauce, a slice of prime rib, an eggs benedict and sausage patty. They also had fried chicken, hot vegetables, bacon, link sausage and other choices which all looked delicious, but I resisted the temptation to take some of everything. Once back at our table, waiters were circulating with Champagne or Mimosa on trays while coffee of juices were available to order. The food was all delicious, beautifully presented and we had a wonderful time.
Sunday Brunch Decoration
Sunday Brunch Egg Station
Fruit and Sushi at the Sunday Brunch
Fruit Cups
Sunday Brunch overview looking down from Deck 5
Judy and I have never played dominoes and our tablemates invited us to join them for a game of Mexican Train dominoes. It was pretty easy to learn and we had a wonderful time playing before we were interrupted by the Captain’s announcement that we would soon be transiting the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. We paused our game and went out to the stern to take a look. Yemen was close by off our starboard side, but due to poor visibility, we couldn’t see Somalia off the part side.
The Bab-el-Mandeb strait and the coast of Yemen
Land Ho!
It was a little hot and sticky out on the deck, so we retreated back to the air conditioned spaces after a few minutes then it was time for Crafts and Texas Hold’em. Judy made a note card with the sign language symbol for ‘I Love You’ on the front and I didn’t finish in the money at Texas Hold’em.
We gone to Bingo a few times early on in the cruise and decided to give it another go today at 4pm. Unfortunately they only had 15 people show up and they needed 20. We learned that they had enough people to play Bingo every sea day from Sydney thru Dubai, but since Dubai they have only had enough people to play once.
Tonight was a Gala night with only two more Gala nights remaining. Harmonica Virtuoso, Bernie Fields, who put on a masterful performance few nights ago, joined us for dinner. We had a wonderful time learning more about Bernie’s background and how he switched from playing the Clarinet to the Harmonica as a teenager. Bernie is from Montreal but now lives in Los Angeles with his wife. He will be flying back to LA from Haifa, but we will see him again when we transit the Panama Canal after the World Cruise as he is already booked for that segment.
Bernie Fields was our guest for dinner tonight
The highlight of the menu was Filet Mignon and Lobster tails – both outstanding. The Snicker Cake for dessert was wonderful as well.
David Kidd, performed a Tom Jones tribute show tonight on the main stage. He put on a wonderful high energy show including my personal favorite, “It’s not Unusual”.
David Kidd on the main stage
David belts out “It’s not Unusual”
After we returned to our cabin we discovered that we they had received a Blue Porcelain Holland America Line Heritage Logo Box by Tiffany & Company in their distinctive blue box as our 7th “pillow gift of the cruise. Pictures of all the pillow gifts are shown under the World Cruise Reference Tab
Our 7th “Pillow Gift” of the cruise