LIFE ONBOARD

SHIPBOARD LIFE

I thought I’d talk about shipboard life on days at sea. We’ve reached the halfway point of this cruise (day 55) and there have been no murders or even loud arguments in cabin 2689. In fact, and I can only speak for myself, I am feeling very content with our relationship. We generally arise around 6:15AM, pretty much the same as at home. However, at home, this is Gina’s veg-out time. She usually has her laptop out and her coffee ready and just surfs and generally kills time until 8:00AM. So, here, I get dressed in my exercise clothes, go up and get Gina coffee, then do my 45 minutes of brisk deck walking followed by breakfast. By the time I get back, usually 8:00AM, Gina has watched the news and headed for her own exercise regimen. I take my shower, head out to check email, then go to “Good Morning Amsterdam”, a unique show done live by the cruise director Bruce, wherein he interviews different members of the crew and talks about their jobs. Sounds boring but it really works. Gina usually meets me here.

After that we attend the lectures at 10 and 11. One is usually about upcoming ports of call, the other could be any geopolitical subject, depending on the area of the world in which we are currently sailing. Mornings at sea go by in a rush. We generally grab a deck chair and read until 1:00PM when we decide where to have lunch. The restaurant is nice but you can’t control your time as you are dependent on the waiter’s service. The Lido is quick but it is anything but relaxing and sometimes it is difficult to find a seat. Also, the ice cream bar is here and the temptation is overwhelming.

Our “office hours” at our desk on 3 deck are from 2 – 3 PM on even numbered days at sea. There is a movie at 1:30 if we are free (great popcorn). Otherwise there is another lecture or educational activity in the afternoon. I love to spend my time in one of those big, wooden lounge chairs on the promenade deck with my book. I’m not sure how much time I spend reading and how much time I spend snoozing, but I know I look forward to being there.

Drinking in the cabin begins around 6:30. Gina purchased a lot of wine in New Zealand just for this purpose. I had to lug jugs of bourbon from home wrapped up in my underwear. The bourbon is about ½ gone but I think Gina has oversubscribed on the wine. We watch whatever news we can get on the TV prior to going to dinner. We have been eating dinner at about a 3:1 ratio in the Lido as opposed to the restaurant. It’s faster, has about the same food and allows us to eat when we like. Unlike most cruises, Holland’s Grand Voyages have only 5:30 and 8:00 fixed dining, no “Anytime” option. We can go to the Lido at 7:00 and still make the 8:00 First Dining show in the showroom. Otherwise, we would have to wait until 10:00 for the show. There is also a movie option at 8:00 if we decide we can’t stand another comedian. Gina will take a few laps around the deck prior to bed, but I just head for my bed and book.
TV aboard is O.K. but we had serious problems crossing the Pacific. Of course TV satellites direct their signal to land masses, of which there are very few in the Pacific. The normal channels include CNN, Fox, Cartoon Channel, ESPN and Turner Classic Movies. CNN would be our choice but across the whole Pacific we could get only one channel – FOX! Please, if you don’t regularly watch the” fair and balanced” channel, give it ½ hour of your time. It is UNBELIEVABLE! Negativity reigns and the vitriol overflows. We can now get BBC which is better than both of the others. Later.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Madang, Papua New Guinea 27 FEB 11

Hot, humid, heavenly and happy is this small village on one of the most mysterious islands in the world. Today being my 67th birthday, I feel a certain entitlement. To look at this place from the upper deck of the ship as we arrived in the rain, one would have to ask why the ship would call at such a forlorn and barren place. The tallest building is a quonset hut having seen better days, the dock area is absolutely barren and the streets are dirt and completely potholed. However, there is more than meets the eye. Culturally rich but economically poor, what is lacking in infrastructure is more than made up for with personality. While the locals may not have much, their clothing, appearance and demeanor are positive. They are friendly, very respectful and always smile. Of course by smiling they reveal the red teeth that are the result of their diet of betel nuts.

Occupied by Japan in WWII, there are said to be the remains of 37 Japanese war ships in the local waters. The people are Melanesian, the darkest skinned of the three island groups including Micronesia and Polynesia. We arrived around noon and waited until 1:30 to debark as the rain was very heavy. We got off the ship, opened our supplied umbrellas, walked 20 yards and the rain stopped, never to return during our visit. We toured the whole town in about an hour, mostly looking for a grocery store but being a Sunday, none were open. The most impressive thing was the people. EVERYONE we passed said “Hello” and smiled. Gina brought off chocolates (our evening pillow gifts, never eaten but always saved for just such occasions) choosing carefully which young people to bestow the gift upon. Every single child , or their parent, said thank you! There was no begging and the vendors were not aggressive as in the West Africa ports of which we were reminded.

Papua New Guinea has always been a place to which I never thought I would travel. Only 15% of the population lives in the urban areas, which would describe Madang, even though by our standards it is only a village. The rest of the island, shared with Indonesia in a similar manner to Dominican Republic and Haiti, is defined by the tribes that live in the mountain communities, the river people who live in stilted villages and the deep-sea fisherman who live on the coastal islands.

The sailaway in the dark was particularly enjoyable as the local inhabitants did everything they could to “say goodbye” from singing , howling and flashing headlights to beeping horns. A thoroughly enjoyable day.

BTW – last three weigh-ins – 205.6, 206.3 and 207.0 I can only use the scale when we are in port as the motion of the ocean wreaks havoc with the proper numbers. I seem to have reached a plateau and it will probably be very difficult to lose more, even with my self-imposed ice cream for lunch ban.

PAPUA NEW GIUNEA

Cairns, Australia 24FEB11

I’m sitting in the cabin in my underwear (actually, less than that) to chronicle our first wipeout day of the cruise. It’s not monsoon season here, but it sure feels like it. We arrived this morning in a torrential downpour which pretty much kept up throughout the day. The rain comes in waves and at its heaviest slants across your body even though there is no real wind. The ship gives everyone an umbrella when they debark but you still get soaked. We’ve been here before so no Barrier Reef for us.
The plan was to deliver a package that one of our condo friends had asked us (we actually offered) to bring to her sister who is a nun in a convent in the area. After the mandatory internet stop at McDonald’s we ventured out in the maelstrom to find out just how to get to our destination. A cab driver told us it would be at least $20 in each direction. The people at the tourist information office gave us detailed bus instructions but when we went to board the bus, the driver told us it would be a very long uphill walk (in the rain) from the closest bus stop and suggested a cab was the best option. We waited out on the street a little while, but with the weather as it was, cab availability was minimal. We solved the problem by going to the post office. You know me, I really would have loved to visit the Sisters of Mercy but the obstacles were too much considering the weather.

After lunch on the ship, we ventured out again just for the exercise. The town is gateway to the Great Barrier Reef so it is really a tourist destination. Walking the streets I was reminded of South Beach in the 1960’s, before it became what it is today. The highlight of this walk was a visit to Woolworth’s, a combination supermarket/Kmart. We bought absolutely nothing and returned to the ship like drenched rats.

Just a word about what the ship offered last night. It was called “A Taste of Australia”. The entire Lido area including the covered swimming pool was transformed into an Aussie barbecue. Kangaroo, emu, venison and weird tropical fruits were displayed in a setting that defies description. The pool had been closed all afternoon. I can’t imagine how much work was involved. Complimentary Australian wines flowed freely but, sad to say, NO Australian beers! Kudos to the staff.

Joe Wagg

Sydney Australia, day 2

February 21, 2011

Sydney,Australia day 2

I think Sydney is one of the greatest cities in the world, because it offers everything, weather, history, scenic beauty, wonderful people, I could go on and on.

When we agreed to do the World cruise in September, my immediate thought was I am going to climb the Sydney Harbour bridge. I still don’t no why this was important for me to do, except maybe for the challenge at my age. I checked the web site at home and decided it was not that difficult. I wanted to book it then, but one of our escorted tours was Sydney and it was  incorrectly scheduled. We had to straighten it out on the ship and I was  not sure we would have time to do the climb. 

   Well, we were able to find a small window that would work and I booked it on line in Grand Cayman. The climb cost $198 US each. When we pulled into beautiful Sydney and I saw the bridge with the “ants” on the top walking up, I thought I was finally out of my mind. 

   After a restless night , we walked to the bridge climb entrance hoping I would not freak out. They are extremely well organized and you go through a lot of preparation before the climb, even a breathalizer test. We donned one piece suits that had radio receivers and raincoats attached.  You are tethered to a small steel cable as you walk.You even get a cloth handkerchief with a wrist band. You can have no jewelry, watches included and eyeglasses need to have a Crokie. I chose the express climb because of our time constraint, it was an hour shorter than the regular one, same price. FYI, the sunset climb cost $298!

   Physically it was not much of a challenge, like climbing 8 or 9 flights of stairs with a rest. It is about a mile and 1/4 in length. But mentally, if you have a fear of heights as I do it is paralyzing. I kept telling myself it is mind over matter. The worst part was looking down through the open grids and seeing water, boats etc 500 ft below. The view at the top was spectacular. Joe who said he was not that interested in doing it loved it and would do it again. I would recommend it to everyone but would not do it again.

Our sail away from Sydney was one of the best. Besides the beautiful scenery, the CEO of Holland America came on board and it was open bar for everyone. It was fun to watch the bar tenders who usually measure drinks as they pour, fill you glass to the top and then offer you another one. 

Updates    As it stands right now, we have a 50% or greater  chance of going through the Suez Canal and we will stop in all of the scheduled ports in Egypt and Jordan

Christchurch, New Zealand , Just 11 days a go we were in this city that is now in ruins. Holland America is donating $5000 to the New Zealand Red Cross and we can donate too

Gina Wagg

Sydney – Feb 20/21, 2011
I have to admit that I had forgotten what a great cruise port Sydney has become. We docked right under the Harbour Bridge. Hop off the ship and you’re immediately swallowed up in the frenzy of activity that surrounds Circular Quay, the transportation and tourist center of the city. Boats and ferries to everywhere, trains around the city and taxis in abundance. I have yet to meet an unpleasant Aussie!

Unfortunately we arrived on a Sunday and the tour we were hosting was scheduled to depart the ship at 1:00PM, so we only had a few hours to head up George Street for shopping. However, being a Sunday, the shops did not open until 11:00AM which didn’t allow any time for the obligatory ritual. We were able to walk through the Queen Victoria Building, probably the most attractive shopping mall I’ve ever seen. It is a three story truly Victorian building extending for a whole city block. The center is open on all three floors and the ceiling above allows the sun’s brightness to permeate throughout the whole building. In the center, hanging from the top of the third floor to the top of the first, is the most exquisite time piece. It tells time from the second to the century. I hope the pictures do it justice.

After a quick lunch we met our group and proceeded to the tour busses. Several of our guests had tickets to a 5 PM performance at the Opera House, so we segregated them onto a single bus so they could go to the Opera House last. No problems, good tour. After we got back we took a ferry to Darling Harbour to look for a place to have a nice meal. There were scads of restaurants, all overpriced for the tourists. We ended up at a Wagamama, still overpriced but more in line with what we were willing to pay. The waitress here told us that we could walk back to ”The Rocks”, the area of town where the ship was docked, in 15 minutes. Thirty minutes and 84 stairs later we still had no idea where we were so we hopped a cab and were back in 10 minutes.

Our second day in Sydney involved climbing the Harbour Bridge. Gina has a fear of heights and wanted to do this. I’m sure she’ll be writing about it so I’ll just say “Congratulations, Gina!”

TASMANIA

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

2/17/11 Arrived at this rather non-descript Tasmanian port in the early AM. Our last time here we saw nothing of the downtown as we opted for a tour inland to see the great wildlife (in captivity) such as the Tasmanian Devil, wombats and wallabies. Nothing significant in the city’s skyline, the tallest building being maybe seven stories. Again, the ship offered a shuttle to downtown visitor’s center, a mere five minute bus ride or ten minute walk. We took the shuttle because it was there waiting. After walking around the center of town and visiting our first ever foreign Target store, we stumbled upon our favorite franchise in the world, McDonald’s!

This was not a stand- alone McDonald’s but rather a mall food court type affair. The seating area was tiny and was used in common with several other coffee shop businesses. I had my Ipad with me and was able to catch up on old email. After that we wandered down to the Salamanca waterfront which could only be described as old warehouses refurbished into really expensive restaurants. Fish and chips for $17 and a three course lunch with wine for $30. What we are finding is that with the Australian $ on par with the U.S. $, things are relatively expensive here. We opted for lunch on the ship with a return to McDonald’s in the afternoon with our computers.

Well, I’ve been thrown out of better places (the old Polcari’s in North End comes to mind) but never out of a food court before. We arrived there about 2:30PM and what a difference! The kids had gotten out of school and completely taken over the mall. We were lucky to get a table in the food court and were powering up the computers when a security guard kindly asked us to leave. “No computers allowed in the food court!” Where was he in the morning when half the ship was there typing away on their computers? It obviously had to do with the time of day but Gina had a few choice words for the enforcer before we left. Found a lovely coffee shop down the street, paid $8.00 for two cappuccinos, and received 90 minutes of free, fast computer time.

Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia

2/18/11 What a fabulous port of call! History, scenic beauty, museums and wildlife. The only negative is that this is a tender port but the ship handles its tender program extremely well. For you landlubbers, a tender is a boat that takes you from the ship to land when the ship is too large to dock.
This is the site of the infamous prison which welcomed 7,000 men between 1830 and 1877. Many of the original buildings remain. The site is settled on a peninsular with a very narrow isthmus connecting it to the mainland. The map reminds me of Boston in the early 1700’s when the only way out of town was through a similar isthmus on Orange Street (now Washington Street) in the South End. A large visitor center provides information on life as it was along with a couple of movies and interactive displays. A very well done endeavor.

The highest point on the isthmus is called Scorpion’s Point and since it was an uphill hike, of course we had to go. As we reached the summit we saw a wallabie rummaging through the bushes. I even managed to get a half-ass picture. Very fortunate to see a nocturnal animal.
After a late lunch on the ship we saw a seal playing in the water outside our cabin window. When we finally set sail, the captain said he was going to go a little off course to show us Point Raoul. The most unusual rock formations I have ever seen. They were vertical in the sense of Gothic church spires but resembled a well used cat scratching post made of clay. Almost like really large stone pipe organs.
A really nice day in a really nice place.

Joe Wagg