- 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
We continue our trek north today thru the Red Sea heading for the Suez Canal. The weather is pretty nice with clear, but hazy skies and smooth seas. Petra was a long day and we are enjoying the chance to relax.
Today we had a very special guest on Good Morning Amsterdam, Captain Mercer. He shared how he was hired by Holland America directly as the Captain of the Veendam back in 1995. Prior to that he was the master of a large ferry that would cross the English Channel 6 times a day giving him a lot of experience docking large ships in tight spots, which is exactly what HAL was looking for at the time. He met his current wife, Karen, when he was the Captain of the Ryndam and she was a passenger. They now live in Merritt Island, Florida when he is not at sea. He also maintains a residence in the UK. After he discussed his background with Gene, he answered a few questions from passengers before wrapping up the interview before 10 am so everyone could get to Barbara’s port lecture on Livorno, Italy.
Captain Mercer answered question on Good Morning Amsterdam
Room service cheeseburgers was our choice for lunch today. They arrived in about 30 minutes and were delicious as always.
I stopped by the final Belly Dancing Class at 1 pm in the Crow’s Nest to see how many people were participating. There were about 15 women taking part and they were doing their final practice before their 3 pm show in the Queens lounge later in the afternoon.
Teresa Gonzalez’s Final Belly Dancing Class in the Crows Nest
As I was heading back to our cabin, I checked out the pool games in progress adjacent to the Lido pool. Gene, Jodie and Erin were running the guests thru the usual games of passing water balloons by holding them between your chin and your chest, passing fun noodles between your legs and other fun games where getting wet is usually guaranteed.
Pool Games by the Lido Pool – Plan on getting wet!
At 2 pm Judy went to the Suez Canal Lecture presented by Vivianne Rowan which she found very interesting and gave her a good overview of what to expect as we transit the Suez Canal tomorrow.
I played Texas Hold’em at 2:30 while Judy went to crafts, where she made a glass pebble magnet decorated with an initial. She chose a Z since there are two Z’s in our last name.
Judy’s craft project
Afterwards she hurried forward to the Queens Lounge to watch the final Belly Dance show which consisted of the instructor leading her students in a demonstration of what they have been learning over the last week or so. They started several minutes early and only performed the one dance they had been practicing. They left the stage before taking their final bow, returning a few minutes later for pictures and to take their bow.
Belly Dancing Show in the Queens Lounge
Even though we are now 4-Star mariners, Judy still does our laundry as the large industrial washing machines can be pretty rough on clothes. There is rarely anyone else in the laundry in the afternoons. She has met several other 4-Stars who also do their own laundry. They all say the same thing, expressing concern that the ship’s laundry is too rough on clothing.
I always keep a lookout for the words “Fresh Catch” on the menu as this means that the fish was purchased fresh in a recent port. Fresh Catch Job Fish was on the menu tonight and it was very tasty and similar to a Red Snapper.
A group called “Casablanca Steps” provided tonight’s entertainment and it was one of the more unique shows of the cruise. The “On Location” guide didn’t give any hints as to what to expect. Casablanca Steps is a 4 man musical comedy act playing songs from the Great Gatsby era ,( e.g. the 1960’s hit “Winchester Cathedral” by the New Vaudeville Band) performing humorous skits and telling jokes aimed for a British audience, or so I thought until some of our UK friends didn’t seem to get the jokes either. There were a few people in the audience who were absolutely howling and enjoyed every minute.
Casablanca Steps
Interesting Electric Bass
Casablanca Steps on the main stage
Gene wrapping up the late show
Tomorrow will be an early start as we transit the Suez Canal.
I confirmed that there has been a change in guidance from Seattle that now allows guest lectures to be rebroadcast. That will be good news – I can now catch up on them after the fact.