Ms Volendam Indonesian 14 Day Cruise January 2014

Ms Volendam Indonesian Cruise Jan 2014

Monday 6 January 2014

Having had a big night last night having drinks with friends that were leaving the ship today I woke up a bit worst for wear. It was a bit rainy for our arrival in Singapore.

I had a light brekkie with Denis and Colleen before they got off the ship. It is always sad to say good bye and walked with them through the terminal as they went to get a taxi.

There was a big change over of passengers for the next segment of the cruise with about 1200 leaving the ship and replaced by the same number of new passengers. Only 200 of us are staying on board.

I did a bit of shopping in the terminal supermarket and then had lunch on board before a nanna nap.

After the mandatory life boat drill I was up at the Crows Nest with all the new people. It wasn’t long and I met a nice English couple and chatted with them.

I had a room service meal and was in bed by 9 pm. It was great to have an early night.

Tuesday 7 January 2014

I did a heap of work on the laptop in the Lido after brekkie and as it is a sea day it was quiet and I think heaps of folk were sleeping in. It’s a bit of a rainy day but the seas are calm.

At 11.30 am I was invited to the Special Indonesian Luncheon for Mariners in the upper dining room.

 It was an excellent meal and the room was decorated with Indonesian artifacts and the waiters were in national dress. Well done and congrats to all involved.

My new Happy Hour friends Chris and Elly joined me at my table for dinner. We had a great time and they have proved to be beaut company.

Wednesday 8 January 2014

We arrived at Jakarta with very wet tropical monsoonal rain pouring down so it was out with the brolly and most were soaked by the time we got on the shuttle bus to go into one of the malls. Today I went with Chris and Elly and we were joined by a Canadian lady called Barbara.

I bought a sim card in the hope I could use it in my phone for data. After we had a look around we braced the monsoonal conditions and made it out to the shuttle to return to the ship. A quick warm up shower had we feeling human again and I went up to have a bloody Mary and a stir fry lunch.

After the nanna nap I met up with Chris and Elly for Happy hour.

It was a beaut dinner and then I went up to the Crows Nest for a night cap. Well that was a mistake, as I met up with folk and ended up having a very late night.

Thursday 9 January 2014

After my late night last night or should I say early morning I slept in until 8.30 am and had a light brekkie before meeting up with Elly and Chris for our trip to explore Semarang.

It was a warm tropical sunny day and a most welcome break from the smog and fog of the past few weeks. We took the free shuttle into the city and were dropped of at the mall. I was able to buy a Indonesian phone sim card for my phone for data only. The one I bought in Jakarta yesterday just didn't work.

  We then got a cab to have a look around and visited the old Chinese Temple and then went sight seeing through the old Dutch city and visited the old church. We got the cab to return us to the ship in the late afternoon.  




The road back to the port was flooded and had heaps of submerged potholes so it was an exciting trip.

Going through the port security I realised I must have left my phone in the cab. I spoke to a policeman who rang my new phone and on the third attempt spoke to the driver who then returned the phone to me. Boy oh boy I was so lucky and relieved. 

It was beaut to be back on board have a shower and then make it up to Happy hour in the Lido. I then went down to have a nana nap before going to dinner.

It was another great meal and my new friends are beaut company. I called it an early night and was in bed by 10.30pm.

Friday 10 January 2014

Today is a sea day with a few showers, so it was good to recharge the batteries and have an easy day. I just relaxed and held court in my Lido office at lunchtime, ad a long nanna nap then a good happy hour in the crows nest.

It was a formal night and Chris, Elly and I had a beaut meal and socialised with the neighbouring table.

As I had an easy day I went up to the Crows Nest for a few night caps. I got to bed  about 1.45 am.

Saturday 11 January 2014

The ship was just docking at Benoa Bali when I awoke. It is always great to visit this port. The ship was welcomed by a traditional band and dancers which was appreciated by the guests on board.

After brekkie I went ashore with Angelo to have a look at some of the stalls outside the terminal. As usual when leaving the terminal you are greeted by the over zealous taxi drivers and souvenir sellers wanting to sell their services and goods. It is an daunting experience for the first time visitor.

I bought a few batik shirts at great prices and then returned to the ship for lunch.

As Made (Steve) one of the lido guys from the Amsterdam World Cruise 2011, is home on holidays he is showing me his Bali tomorrow so I didn't go out again today.

I did happy hour which was very quiet with almost everyone 
ashore.


 

After another enjoyable dinner I called it an early night and was in bed before 10 pm.

Sunday 12 January 2014

I was up early and had brekkie in order to be ready to leave the ship at 9.15am as I had arranged to meet Made (Steve) outside the terminal at 9.30am. 

It had been 3 years since we were on the Amsterdam and he would look after me for brekkie in the Lido.

I elected not to take up Steve’s off to show me around the Island on his motor bike. So I hired a van and driver so we both could relax and enjoy the sights. Boy oh boy what a great day we had.

We toured from Benoa through Denpasar and across the Island to Lovina beach near Singaraja.

 The trip took nearly 3 hours and the tropical green country side was brilliant. Mountain ranges, lakes, villages, markets added to the vista as we traveled. On one of the ranges we stopped to feed bananas to the monkeys. The driver and Steve gave me a fantastic insight to the culture and history of Bali.

We stopped for lunch at a traditional resort for lunch which was out of this world, the food and the service was excellent. I will let the photos do the talking.

After lunch we were off to the Holy Hot Springs and I’m sure I was the only ‘westerner’ there among the locals. It was a great experience and we tried the 3 pools with different temps.

The return trip took a bit longer because of the traffic, mainly of motor bikes zipping around with sometimes up to 4 people on them. I told Steve he was lucky we didn't go on his bike as it rained on the way back, but also I would have been hanging on to him so tight I may have crushed his ribs. He would have gone deaf from me screaming like a shelia when I had my eyes open.

I can never thank Steve enough for the fantastic time and company he gave me, while proudly showing me his country and the culture.

We arrived back at the ship just on 7 pm and the rain had eased off so Steve had a dry ride home from the port.

I met up with Chris and Elly for dinner and we all exchanged stories of our adventures. As usual it was a fun time with excellent food and service.

I went up to the Crows Nest for a night cap and ended up leaving there just after 1 am for bed.

Monday 13 January 2014

I had a late light brekkie and met up with Elly and Chris to get on the tender to go and explore Lombok. 

We did a good deal and got a 4 wd and a driver to take us over to Kuta beach just over an hour away. Yes, Lombok has a Kuta beach, which I’m told is like the Bali Kuta was about 20 years ago.

It was an enjoyable drive through the countryside and I must say the roads here are a lot better and wider than on Bali and not as crowded. We had a beer at a little café, walked on the beach saw some goats sleeping on a picnic table.

On the return trip we visited a traditional village and were given a tour of it, and viewed ladies making traditional garments.

Dinner was an hilarious experience as Andrew presented me with a staff badge that reads Sir Papa Kuu CEO Crows Nest.

 When we got back to the ship it was too late for lunch so we settled on a snack before going up to Happy Hour.

I had a VIP cocktail party to attend at 7.30 pm hosted by the Captain. It was a good time and I caught up with a few folk I hadn't seen for a few days.

We went to the fantastic Filipino Crew Show at 11 pm which is always great entertainment.

I went up for a night cap in the Crows Nest and called it a night About 1 am.

Tuesday 14 January 2014

I had a sleep in and had a late brekkie as today we are at Komodo Island. I went for a swim in the saltwater aft Lido pool and the water temp was just right.

After lunch and the nanna nap it was up to the Crows Nest for a beaut happy hour.

The Canaletto was the venue for dinner and as usual Elly, Chris and I had a great time. The service was excellent and relaxed and the food was perfect.

I went up to the crows nest for a night cap and was back in my cabin by 11.30 pm.

Wed 15 January 2014

We arrived at the Port of Ujung Padang at 9 am, I was able to have a leisurely morning as I had agreed to meet some of the bar staff after their drill at 11 am to go out for a meal. 

I realized I had been here on a previous cruise. We walked into town which was beside the port. We were finding it hard to find a suitable place to eat so we hopped into a cab with a non English speaking driver so it was a comedy of errors in finding a suitable place to eat.

This morning the Captain had declared the ship in a Code Red as a result of the many folk having the GI virus so we had to be careful of where and what we ate.

The taxi took us to a Japanese restaurant which was very basic and we were able to order a beaut meal and then we walked down the street and Luis found he could buy a fresh fish from the market and have it grilled and served for only $5. 

He ordered 2 fish for us to share. Because of time restraints Angelo had to be back at work by 2 PM so he and I left Marcelo and Luis at 1.15 pm to head back to the ship. 

Boy oh boy the heavens opened up with a heavy monsoonal down pour  and the traffic was chaotic combined with language problems I was starting to wonder if we would ever make it back to the ship. I had to show the driver a photo of the ship so he knew where to take us. We arrived back on board just before 1.30 pm so Angelo had heaps of time to get ready and set up his bar before his 2 pm start.

The town was very 3^rd world dirty and crowded, however the people we came into contact with were very friendly and helpful.

It was great to be back on the ship, have a shower and a nanna nap. We had a beaut time at Happy hour in the Crows Nest.

Dinner was the usual fun time and I then went up to the Crows Nest for a quick drink before the Indonesian Crew Show. 

We were in the front row for this fantastic show. As what has become a tradition I was taken up on stage for the final act.

I called it a day after the show and was in bed before midnight.

Thursday 16 January 2014

Today is a sea day with showers and strong winds. Most of the folk seemed to have slept in as the Lido for brekkie was very quiet.

I spent the morning downloading photos and catching up on the blog reports.

Of course I had a big nanna nap before the crows nest Happy hour. 

Tonight is a formal night so I had to get tubed up and into the gear. I had duck for dinner and it was fantastic.

I called in on the show for a while on the way up to the Crows Nest where I ended up having a bit of a late night.

Friday 17 Jan. 14

Today we visited the tender port of Probolinggo Java, on a cloudy windy but fine day. The tender ride was about 30 minutes and the sea was very choppy, so that gave the old farts something to talk to one another about.

I went in with Chris and Elly and we got a good look at the town from the shuttle bus that took us from the dock into the city centre. We wandered around for a while and were unsuccessful in finding free WiFi so after a coffee we got the shuttle back to the dock.

 By now the wind had got a lot stronger so I knew the tender ride back to the ship was going to be an experience and it was. Waves and spray were even going right over the tender. It was amazing we didn't get wet and the crew handled the vessel very well. It was a fun ride and by the screams of some of the folk you would have thought you were on an amusement park ride.

I had a Bloody Mary and lunch at the lido bar with Chris and Elly.

Happy Hour in the Crows Nest was the usual fun time and many stayed on for a while later.

 I was invited to a VIP cocktail party before dinner so I joined Elly and Chris a little late but they waited for me to order.

I went up to the Crows Nest for a night cap after dinner and was in bed before midnight.

Saturday 18 January 2014

The Volendam arrived at Surabaya just after 6 am, even though the port pilot came on board 45 minutes late to guide the ship into the port. It was an industrial operational port and about 15 minutes from the city.

I met up with Chris and Elly for brekkie to work out what we would do if we went ashore. 

The visit to Surabaya was a short visit as we had to be back on board by 12.30 pm for a 1 pm departure.

The WiFi server in the terminal crashed with the large numbers of crew and guests trying to log on. There was local entertainment in the terminal and a few stalls selling souvenirs.

Chris and I decided to get in s cab and visit parts of the city. Because of the time restraints and the heavy traffic we visited the old Arab town and the Chinatown. 

It was a beaut tour and a fantastic way to spend 90 minutes. It was a clean city and as is the norm in most of the Asian cities it was crowded with motor bikes loaded with up to 4 people. Not all the passengers on the bikes wore helmets.

Back on the ship for a sail away bloody Mary on the aft lido deck and then lunch before going down to start the packing process. I may have mentioned I hate packing.

I didn't have time for a nanna nap as it was time for happy hour. Happy Hour was great and the camaraderie and fun from all around the bar was excellent. Why is it at towards the end of a cruise folk relax and let their hair down.

I finally left the bar and went down to get ready for the last formal night. To celebrate Chris and I went halves in an expensive bottle of Aussie red wine . Dinner was great and the service excellent as usual.

After dinner I went up to the Crows Nest to hold court and what a late night it ended up being. It was after 1am before I got to bed.

Sunday 19 January 2014

Today is a sea day as we sail towards Singapore for the end of the cruise. I slept in as I was very tired after the very late night last night. I had brunch at 1.15 pm after I completed the remainder of the packing.

I had a very restful day and didn't have my first drink until Happy Hour in the Crows Nest. At the end of Happy Hour we had to go through the sad good byes to all our new Happy Hour friends which is always sad.

 I finally agreed to join Chris and Elly at the table for dinner on the condition I could go straight to my cabin after dinner and not detour to any of the bars.

I wanted to have a clear head for the travel tomorrow as I have learnt the hard way before it is not fun trying to book in at airports and go through security with a hangover.

I was in bed before 10 pm and the bags were outside the cabin for collection.

Monday 20 January 2014

I had ordered room service breakfast to save time in the morning before having to assemble in the theatre for the tour. 



I took a tour to fill in time from when I got off the ship until I had to be at the airport.

I was off the ship by 8 am and on the coach by 8.30 am as the disembarkation process went very smoothly. The coach was only half  full and was coach number 3. 

Thank God all the grumpy selfish old farts were on the other 2 coaches. We mainly had Dutch and Aussies on our coach. The Singapore tour was excellent taking in the hill, Old Singapore, China Town, Arab Street and the National Orchid Garden.

We arrived at the airport about 3 pm and our luggage was on individual trolleys for our convenience. The business class check in went very smoothly and efficiently and so was the immigration and customs process. By 3.20 pm I was in the Qantas Business lounge having a shower and getting ready for the flight.

Boy oh boy the service in this lounge was excellent and personal and it was like going back in time to the Old Ansett Golden Wings Club days. Ali the senior Host was fantastic and I was soon relaxing with a G&T before he served me a yummy squid and rice dish. 

He also is one of my new Annaku as he calls me Papaku. I had 3 hours of being pampered and catching up on the internet before I had to go down and board the flight.

The  business class flat bed chair was very comfortable and the flight was enjoyable. I must say the service on the Cathay Pacific flight going up to Asia was much more superior to the Qantas Service on the flight to Sydney from Singapore.

Tuesday 21 January 2014

The flight arrived just after 6.30 am Sydney time, The customs and Immigration processes went smoothly and as I had some wood lamp holders I had to declare to Quarantine. The officer had a look and checked it out and I was on my way in a matter of minutes to re check the luggage for the domestic flight to Cairns. A shuttle bus took us from the International terminal to the Domestic Terminal 1. I went up and had a snack in the Qantas Business lounge, which may I say was no way up to the standard of the Singapore Lounge.

The 3 hour flight home to Cairns  was uneventful and I was lucky to have a spare seat beside me.

On arrival in Cairns I was met by my mate Steve, who drove me to the supermarket and then home.

After a shower I went down to the nearest Telstra shop to get a new Sim Card to replace my lost/misplaced one. That was a simple operation and I came home via the chemist.

I had a light supper of Vegemite on toast and made a few phone calls and called it an early night.

That night it was beaut to go to sleep in my own bed.

On this note I must thank all the Officers and crew of the ms Volendam for the excellent service they have given me over the past 4 months.