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Thursday 19 January 2017

Ms Prinsendam Amazon Cruise Nov 2916

Ms Prinsendam Amazon Cruise Nov 2916



Wednesday 16 November 2016

It was an early morning start as I woke up at 2.30am half an hour before the alarm went off. So I got up had a cuppa green tea and then got ready to go to the airport by cab.

The check in at the airport went very smoothly and I was soon in the Qantas Club having a light brekkie before the flight.

 The flight got away on time at 5.30 am and I was seated in 4A and nobody was in 4B so it was a very relaxed 2 hour flight to Brisbane.

The transfer from the Domestic Terminal to The Brisbane International Terminal went very smoothly and the check-in and security formalities were very efficient and within an hour of arriving in Brisbane I was comfortably seated in the Qantas Business Lounge for the Brisbane 3 hour stop over. I caught up with a few phone calls had a snack and a few Gin and Tonics to fill in the time.






I boarded the Qantas 747 and was seated in 3B and felt like Royalty as the service was excellent. Dinner was brilliant and the Pork cutlet was to die for. I finished dinner with a top shelf port.

Then it was time for bed and I had one of the best sleeps on a flight ever in the flat bed seat. When I awoke I watched a movie and then it was time for brekkie before landing in Los Angeles. Wow that 14 hour went so quickly and I felt very relaxed and refreshed.

The transfer from the International Terminal to Terminal 4 went smoothly and the longest part of the process was the long que to get through security.

I had four hours between flights so I made myself at home at the American Airline’s Admiral Lounge. Boy of boy it was so crowded and undergoing renovations so it was a bit of a dive. 

The service and facilities are nowhere up to the standard of Emirates or Qantas Lounges. I was given 2 drink vouches when I entered so I had one Gin & Tonic and got a bottle of water for the next flight.

I caught up on emails and made a few phone calls so the time went very quickly before I was boarding the flight to Miami.

This flight I was in the extra leg room economy section of the American Airlines direct flight to Miami and it looked like we were going to have the middle seat spare and able to spread out. Yes you guessed it the last passenger to board the plane was to sit in our middle seat. Well this man was very huge and obese, it was a wonder he fitted in between the 2 armrests of his chair. Much of his overweight body spilt over into my seat space. Actually he should have booked 2 seats together just for himself. He looks very uncomfortable and I was squeezed up against my aisle armrest. I think the guy on the other side of him was up against the window.

The big guy fell asleep just after take-off so I decided to get in a bit of shut eye also.

Of course American Airlines only serve snack food to be purchased so I gave it a miss and just drank water.

I must have got in a fair amount of sleep as the 5 hours flight seemed to go very quickly.

The arrival at Miami and collection of the luggage went very well and efficiently. I noticed a guy with a sign saying Larrie King Australia and then he noticed my Qantas tags and came over to check if I had just came through from Australia and was waiting to collect this King guy and take him to the same hotel as I was going to.

I told him I had phoned his company to arranged a shuttle but it had not been confirmed before my arrival. Next thing he gets out a piece of paper with my Ph number on and a Email larrikineat @ gmail.com so of course we could not connect me and I guess he was trying to call me after I had left Cairns. I guess a few things got mixed up with the translation of my accent on my voice message. It was a relief and I guess a one in a million chance he was actually there to pick up me.

He was a great guy and chauffeured me to my Hotel and there were no stops dropping off other passengers along the way which meant I was at the hotel just a little over an hour after landing in Miami.

I caught up with Susan and Russell by phone to arrange our plans for tomorrow. It was beaut to have a shower after the long trip and I made it to bed just before 11pm. It was a huge 36 hour day Wed 16 November.


Thursday 17 November 2016

I awoke feeling very relaxed after 7 and a half hours sleep so after a shower I set off to have the provided brekkie. It was not to bad and the first meal I had since my brekkie on the Qantas flight yesterday just before landing at Los Angeles.

I was out to meet Russell just before 10 am at the Hotel entrance as he was taking me out to buy a white dinner jacket. He has a beaut 7 year old black Mercedes that is still in mint condition. We called into many stores but without luck. Finally we went to JCPenny and they were having a sale. 

Well I got a bargain and bought a long sleeve shirt (for the Amazon cruise} for nearly as much as the Jacket sale price.

We then went to a very nice restaurant called Kaluz  by a busy channel and met Susan there. What a great reunion we had as we laughed and chatted through the enjoyable meal. The Ginger Calamari was to die for.


We dropped Susan home and did an inspection of her temporary unit and met her cats. Franz her husband arrived and as always it’s great to catch up with Franz.

On the way back to the hotel we called into a religious store to buy a white cassock for my costume wardrobe. They had to order one for me so Russell will pick it up next week for me and then give it to me after this cruise returns in December. (I will not have to borrow table cloths any more for fancy dress nights on cruises).

 I got back to the Hotel just before 5 pm.

I only had a short time for a rest as I was getting picked up just after 8 pm to go to dinner at the Boatyard Susan, Franz and Russell. Boy oh boy this was a packed noisy and busy venue. The food was fantastic and it was a most enjoyable evening.  Was about 11 pm bye the time I got back to the Hotel. I called it a night about 11.30pm.


Friday 18 November 2016

Wow, what a great 8 hours sleep I had as I woke just after 7.30 am and made it to brekkie by 8am. Brekkie was crowded and I sat with a lovely couple from Pt Arlington in Australia who for 3 months are traveling around Canada and the USA.

I came back to my room to catch up with emails, FB and this travel news update.

Actually I had a very relaxing day in the hotel, making phone calls and watching movies. I went out for a walk to the nearby CVS Pharmacy to buy insect repellent sunscreen and other toiletries for the cruise.

I also got a Microwave Chicken dinner and a bottle of wine to have for dinner and other snacks to keep me going.

Viber is a fantastic free phone system as I was able to catch up with friends all over the world depending on the time zones.

The chicken dinner was yummy and the Beringer White Zinfandel made an excellent stay in meal.

I called it a night about midnight.


Saturday 19 November 2016

The day of the cruise has arrived. I started the day by getting ready for brekkie. I sat with an American couple who were going on a cruise on the Eurodam.

After brekkie is was time to pack up and get ready for the shuttle to the port. 
This process went very smoothly and by 11.15 am I was sitting upfront beside the driver for the 15 minute drive to the Cruise Terminal.

The check in procedures went very smoothly and within no time I was upstairs in the departure lounge for the 4 and 5 Star Mariners. We had to wait as The US Customs, Health and other checks were being made. Even the frustrated Captain came off the ship and made an apology for the delays. I guess they held us up by about 90 minutes.

Then the mad rush began with the wheel chairs and walking frames trying to be first on board and knocking over anyone that got in their way. Well of course it was past their lunch time so I guess you have to make excuses for their rude behaviour.

Oh, the fantastic feeling of being home again on the little Prinsendam and Pat becomes Papaku again.

My cabin is in a perfect location at the front of the ship with its own veranda on deck 9 just under the Bridge. So going up the Amazon I will have access to 180 degree views.

I headed off to have some lunch in the dining room where I caught up with my friend Vincent a Dining Room supervisor (I knew from the Volendam) who organised a nice ‘Papaku Table’ for me during the cruise.

Then I went up to the welcome back onboard drinks in the Crows Nest where I caught up with my good friend Kenneth the Beverage Manager and he introduced me to many of his staff. As usual some folk wanted to come over and talk with me as they wanted to know why I was getting extra attention.

Then Surprise! Surprise! Franz walked into the bar and informed me he was also going on the ship to the Amazon. You may recall I had dinner with Franz, Susan and Russell last Thursday night in FT Lauderdale and they didn’t tell me as Franz wanted to surprise me. It was so good to see him and to know he also would be on board.

I didn’t have time for a nanna nap so I just got ready to go to the Dining room and I didn’t even bother to go to the VIP party in the Crows nest at 7.30pm.

The new Papaku Table is just in a perfect location and there were only very few staff I had met before, Vincent was introducing his team to Papaku.
The meal and the service were excellent and after dinner as it was 9.40pm I would call it a night and not even had a night cap. I was in bed by 10 pm.


Sunday 20 November 2016

Would you believe I had a great night’s sleep, there was a little motion in the ocean as we passed through the remains of a passing  low. I was surprised that I woke at 8.30 am and when I looked outside it was a perfect clear calm and sunny day.










I had a late brekkie and Vincent looked after me like Royalty. I had an enjoyable light brekkie. Yes of course I had vegemite with my croissants.
On the way back to the cabin I called into the office to get the Aussie paper and the stats for my blog.

On the ship there are 752 guests and of that the main nationalities are have:-
             Yanks                 502
             Canadians        124
             Aussies             43
             Dutch                18
             Poms                 15

The other 23 nations are represented by smaller numbers.

The Mariner listing is made up of:-
             1 Pres Club Member
             12  5Star
             146  4 Star
             242  3 Star
It is interesting to note there are 58 first time cruisers on this cruise.

Late morning I headed up to the Lido bar where I caught up with Kenneth, Franz and other officers.

I had a Papaku Masarap Chicken Burger for lunch before going down to my cabin for the nanna nap.

The Happy Hour was very quiet in the Crows Nest so after a while I adjourned to the Ocean Bar where the famous Station Band were playing a great selection of music.

Before dinner I caught up with a lovely Dutch couple I have met on many previous cruises. I was great to join their company for a pre-dinner drink in the OB.

Tonight was a Gala (Galah) formal night so my new white dinner jacket made its first appearance. I know self-praise is no recommendation but I felt good in it and from the comments I was given I must have looked OK in it.

I had the lobster tails for dinner and finished off the meal with a beaut cheese platter.

I then adjourned up to the Crows Nest to listen to Wayne the Piano Man and his great selection of sing a long music.

I called it a night just after 11 pm.


Monday 21 November 2016

I awoke refreshed after 9 hours of peaceful sleep and got ready to go to brekkie in the dining room.



A Canadian couple sat at the table beside mine and they proved to be great company for brekkie.

I did some catching up with this newsletter on my return to the cabin before going up to my Lido office.

My pre-lunch drink was a Bloody Mary, the first one on this cruise. I had a Papaku Chicken Masarap Burger for lunch and then it was down to the wine tasting.


There was only a short time after the wine tasting before the Happy Hour in the Crows Nest.

I did the first part of Happy Hour in the Crows Nest and then went down to the Crows Nest for the remaining part.

After getting ready I joined my Dutch friends for pre-dinner drinks and then they joined me for dinner. We had a very enjoyable and fun filled meal.
I adjourned to the Crows Nest to listen to Wayne the Piano Man with his singalong favourites for an hour before heading off to bed at 11 pm.



Tuesday 22 November 2016

We arrived at ST Thomas just after I woke up on a very rainy day. I went down to have Brekkie in the Dining room where Vincent and the boys looked after me very well.

 I had another Ham and cheese Omelette with my Croissants with Vegemite.









Just after 10am I set out for the short walk into town and I just made it to the shelter of the shops before a tropical downpour came down. I spent my time window shopping through the various ‘tourist’ and very expensive jewellery shops. When the rain eased off I headed back to the ship without getting too wet.


I had a fish and chicken stir fry for lunch at the Lido Bar with a glass of Rose.

The heavy rain started again so I decided to have a nanna nap before the 4pm Crows Nest Happy Hour.

As the sail away party on the aft lido deck was cancelled due to the rain, the Crows nest filled up very quickly. So I went down to the OB for the remainder of Happy hour.

I met Franz for a pre-dinner drink in the OB. Franz had me in stitches of laughter with his stories of working on the high seas.

The pork chop was tender and cooked to perfection so that and the entertainment of the crew made it a most enjoyable meal.

I called into the OB to fill in time as I wanted to see the show at 10 pm. I got a pleasant surprise when the Station Band starts singing G’Day G’Day as I walked up to the bar. The Station Band are a brilliant and talented Filipino group of 4 musicians.

Bailamos was the name of the 3 male vocals doing the show in the main theatre. What a show, an excellent musical experience by these 3 young blokes.

I finished up the night at the Crows Nest listening to Wayne on the piano. He sang Send in the Clowns for me just after I arrived.

 So what a fantastic musical evening I had tonight and the talent was brilliant.

I called it a night at 11.30pm.


Wednesday 23 November 2016

After Brekkie I made my way down to get on the tender to go ashore at the island of Nevis.

The tender ride was very smooth and from the sea the tropical island looked very welcoming. The sounds of the steel band drifted over the water to great us as we approached the jetty.









After a short walk around the usual tourist shops I settled down at a table and chair to use the free Wifi. For the first 15 minutes it was great but as more tenders arrived and the visitor numbers increased dramatically the speed of the wifi went extremely slow so I gave up as my phone wanted to do heaps of upgrades.

They had to suspend the tender services for a short time for security reasons as Prince Harry (Of England) was arriving on the Island by water taxi. I didn’t see him as by this time I had made my way back to the ship. I understand many of the female passengers had their photos taken with Harry.

One of my new Indonesian anak ku friends (annie)looks after me each day at lunch time and fetches me a light lunch and brings it out to me at the Lido Bar. She is a great kid and spoils me.

It must be all this all this warm and tropical fresh air that assisted me in having a 2 hour nanna nap.

Boy oh boy the Crows Nest Happy Hour was crowded as many made their way up there for the first time to enjoy the sail away from the island in the cool comfort of the air-conditioning,

I adjourned down to the OB where the show band was playing and Franz called in to say hello.

After getting ready for the evening I joined the Dutch couple at the OB for a pre-dinner drink. They are always great company.

I had the crab legs for dinner, what a feast it was. Yummy!

Then it was up to the Crows Nest to enjoy Wayne at the Piano. We had a lively group up there and the company was great for the singalong.
I called it a night at 11 pm.


Thursday 24 November 2016

Happy Thanksgiving Day

At brekkie I chatted with a nice couple who live on the USA/Canadian border. It was the Vegemite on my table that got the conversation going.
Today we are in St Lucia and it was a perfect day and with a gentle breeze the temps were kept very comfortable. After a walk around the town I found a beaut coffee shop on a first floor veranda overlooking the dock.












I had some terrible coffee and a huge piece of chocolate cake however the Wifi was excellent.

About midday I made it back to the ship and had a light lunch from the Dive Inn. After eating half of the large slice of chocolate cake earlier I was not feeling so hungry.
As usual I had my nanna nap before going up to the Crows Nest Happy Hour.

Tonight I had a late Thanksgiving dinner with Franz. The pumpkin soup and the roast turkey made it an excellent traditional American meal.

We finished up the evening at the Crows Nest with a night cap.
It was just on mid night by the time I made it to bed.


Friday 25 November 2016

Rain, Rain go away. If was pouring down the heavy rain as we arrived at Port of Spain Trinidad.

I went to brekkie to work out what plans I would make for this very wet day. Brekkie was heaps of fun with the waiters.

At about 10 am the rain looked like it had no intention of easing off so I decided to go out to the terminal where I took advantage of the free Wi-fi before heading off to the markets.












I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the goods and the lower prices being charged. It was certainly not a tourist rip off place.

After a few hours I came back to the ship for a Papaku Masarap Chicken Burger and a glass of Rose. Franz joined me for lunch.

I had a beaut 2 hour nanna nap before Happy hour in the Crows Nest where I was joined by David and Irene for a fun filled lively conversation.

The second half of happy hour I adjourned to the OB and there were only an old grumpy couple there. Mr Grumpy has taken a dislike to me because of the attention Papaku gets when he arrives at the bar from the Bar Staff and the Band. Oh well sour grapes and Mrs Grumpy would appear to not be allowed to talk to me either.

I then had to get ready for the VIP cocktails in the Crows nest before dinner. It was a beaut cocktail and all the senior officers were there. Even Captain Chris Turner came up to me and had a long chat.

I then met Franz and we went to the Canaletto for dinner and that proved to be a great night of food fun and laughter. After our long leisurely meal we headed up to the
 Crows Nest for a night cap and enjoy Wayne’s piano playing.

It was just after midnight by the time I got to bed.


Saturday 26 November 2016

This morning we had already arrived at Bridgetown Barbados by the time I had woken up. From today I have been invited to have brekkie in the Pinnacle Grill so I went there for brekkie.

It was a perfect sunny day with a slight breeze outside so I decided I would go out and take some photos of this sugar port a little later.








After a short walk I decided to come back to the ship for a hotdog for lunch and then I had the usual nanna nap. The warmer weather as we head south towards the equator seems to zap the energy out of me with the minimum of exercise.
We had a great time up in the Crows Nest with my new friends David and Eileen. They make great conversation as both are retired senior US military officers.

Tonight Kenneth took Franz and I to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner. The company was great and the meal excellent. The Lamb chops were to die for.
Franz and I had a night cap in the Crows nest and we called it a night at 11pm, but as we were going to lose an hour tonight with the time adjusted it was midnight when I got to bed.


Sunday 27 November 2016

Today is a sea day as we cruise towards Devils Island.

I went to the Pinnacle Grill for brekkie and had a cheese and ham omelette. This PG for brekkie is very quiet compared with some of the other ships. Actually I like it very much and I don’t have other people trying to make conversation with me while I’m still half asleep and I get a chance to read the Aussie newspaper without interruption.

I took advantage of the sea day and watched a movie before going up to have lunch and a drink at the Lido.

Franz was up there so I had lunch with him. This time was a heap of laughs.

My nanna nap was over 2 hours but I still made it to Happy Hour on time and was joined by David and Irene. There seem to be more making their way up to happy hour as the cruise goes on.








Tonight was a Gala (Galah) Night so I got dressed up with the new white dinner jacket but a black turtle neck shirt and black trousers. I must have tubbed up looking OK as I got many complements.

Dinner was good and I was joined by Franz for a wine and a cheese platter at the end of the meal.

We adjourned to the OB and then on to the Crows Nest for a night cap. I was surprised to see so many of the oldies still up after 9.30pm dancing and having a good time.

After Wayne finished playing he joined Wendy and I for a final night cap down in the OB. It ended up being a beaut night but I didn’t get to bed until 1 am.


Monday 28 November 2016

I was surprised how well I felt this morning after the late night. I was out of bed by 7.30 to get ready for brekkie in the Pinnacle.

The PG was very quiet this morning as I think many must have slept in. We don’t arrive at Devils Island until 1 pm.

I filled in the remainder of the morning catching up on emails, doing banking and playing FreeCell before going up to the Lido for a Guinness (the first for this cruise) and a Papaku Masarap Chicken Burger for lunch.





I waited until open tender before going over to the Island for a walk around to stretch the legs. I left behind my camera on the ship so I didn’t take photos this visit, however as I was here 3 have ago I .took heaps of photos that time.

Devil’s Island was set up as a French Penal Colony by Napoleon III in 1852. Because of the harsh conditions isolation and disease, many ot the more than 80,000 prisoners sent to the island were never seen again.





I returned back to the ship in time for Happy Hour with David and Irene and then got ready for dinner.
As usual I had a pre-dinner drink with Charlotte and Adrian (my Dutch friends) in the OB.

My veal schnitzel was cooked to perfection.

After dinner I adjourned up to the Crows Nest for a night cap, well as the gang were all there I ended up having a few.

I made it to bed by 11.30 pm.


Tuesday 29 November 2016

A most welcome sea day as we sail towards Santarem Brazil.

I slept in until 8 am and then got ready to have brekkie in the PG. then it was back to the cabin to get in the laundry.

From tomorrow when we reach the muddy waters from the Amazon there will be no laundry services until the 7th Dec, as the ship will not be able to produce water due to the poor quality of the river water and the sediment clogs up the evaporators.

As a result it will be necessary for us to take measures to reduce water usage whilst we are in the Amazon.

I had a Ham egg and tomato croissant for lunch with a Guinness and then a glass of Rose and held court with the regulars at the Lido bar. Annie is a real sweetie as she asks me each day what I would like for lunch then she gets it for me to save me going into the Lido buffet.

My nanna nap today was only just over an hour so I caught up with the internet to fill in time before going up to Happy Hour.

It was a good Happy Hour with David and Eileen and after they left Franz came up to have a cranberry juice with me before I went down to get ready for dinner.

Tonight I went to the Canaletto with my Dutch friends (Charlotte and Art) for dinner. It was a great night with excellent service, food and Company.


I finished the night with a night cap in the Crows Nest with Franz and then had an early night, well I was in bed by 11 pm.


Wednesday 30 November 2016

I awoke at 7.30 am just as we crossed the equator and were already in the muddy waters washed out to sea from the Amazon. By 8 am we were entering the Amazon after going over the bar that caused the ship to shudder and then we anchored in the river opposite the Macapa pilot station.





The Immigration and Customs officials came on board as well as the Pilot. I guess we were anchored there for about 3 hours. Well you cannot hurry these officials.

I had Brekkie in the PG and was amazed at the strong current of muddy water flowing out to sea.

I went to the talk on the future ports of the Amazon and by the time that was over we were moving again so I went out to the Lido for lunch and a large drink of water.

OMG it was so hot I had to adjourn to the air-conditioned Lido Bistro where I had a delicious sweat and sour pork and noodles for lunch.

Then it was time for the nanna nap before Crows Nest Happy Hour.

We had great views of the river and the countryside as we cruised up the Amazon. This river has to be seen to be believed, so wide and all the large tributaries running into it as well as the low level islands along the way.

The sunset was brilliant and of course I didn’t have my camera with me.

I had dinner in the dining room and Franz joined me for a wine and cheese platter before going to the OB for a night cap.

I had an early night and was in bed by 10.30 pm.


Thursday 1 December 2016

Wow this river is wide and when I woke up this morning I couldn’t get over how far away the banks were. Anyone would think we were out in a brown sea.

I had a leisurely brekkie at the PG and read the Aussie paper before returning to the cabin to catch up on emails etc. We arrived at Santarem at 2.30pm so I had a relaxing morning.

I had a my chicken burger for lunch and then went out on the Highlights of Santarem Tour.






This tour included a visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady Conceicao, a museum, the Markets and then to the old Manioc Flour factory also saw native fruits and rubber trees. We were given a demonstration of seeing latex being extracted from the rubber trees.










We also observed the meeting of the waters where the Amazon and Tapajos Ricers come together.

It was a most enjoyable and informative tour and we didn’t get back to the ship until about 7.30 pm so we missed out on Happy Hour. It was heaven to have a hot shower to ease the aches and pains from bouncing around on a non-air-conditioned school bus.

Franz joined me for dinner and I tried the duck. I didn’t enjoy the quack quack that much but the rest of the meal was great.

Franz and I had a night cap in the OB where the Station Band were playing their excellent music. Because of the late returns of the day tours many folk retired straight after dinner.

The band played G’Day G’Day for Papaku which was great as I entered the OB for a night cap.

I called it a night about 11.30.


Friday 2 December 2016

At brekkie this morning we were entertained by the little pink dolphins playing beside the ship. The ship was anchored off the little village of Boca Da Valeria and boy oh boy they were so fast that  for most of us it was impossible to get a photo of them.












Later in the morning I took the tender over to the little village but as it was so hot and humid I didn’t stay long and got the next tender back to the ship.

Likewise it was too hot to sit outside for lunch on the Lido I adjourned inside where I was spoilt by the anak ku with excellent service. I had a small bowl of chicken stir fry with noodles followed by a meatloaf sandwich. 


I was surprised with the amount of iced water I drank after being out in the heat for most of the morning.

The nanna nap recharged the batteries and I was ready for the Happy Hour. 

The scenery as we cruise along this huge waterway is becoming very diverse and with a few hills and some farming lands.

Before dinner I was invited to a suite party for a very nice lady’s birthday and was surprised to find the Captain and I were the special guests outside of her family.

I made it to dinner very late but the gang looked after me and I had the usual fantastic service and fun with the waiters.

Tomorrow we will arrive in Manaus Brazil so the boys were getting ready for a big ‘soapy soapy’ to make sure the ship was spotless for the Brazilian Public Health inspection.

I went up to the Crows nest for a night cap but I only had one and went down to bed at 11 pm but as we had to adjust the clocks back an hour I actually had a very early night as it was now 10 pm when I went to bed.



Saturday 3 December 2016

It had rained overnight and while I was in the PG having brekkie there was a dramatic tropical thunder storm. Thunder and lightning to welcome our arrival to Manaus with 2 tug boats on standby as we came alongside the pontoon starboard to facing upstream and into the current.




The main wharf for when the river is flooding was about 30 metres above us. The photos will tell the story. Because we are now at the end of the dry season we are docked at the lower pontoon as the river is much lower than a flooding river.







 I took the shuttle into the cruise terminal to have a look around and try the internet. The internet was not a goer at all as everyone from the ship seemed to be trying to get on line. Of Course the wifi crashed.





I came back to the ship for some lunch and then went back to have a look around. After about an hour of walking around I was wringing wet with perspiration so I decided to make my way back to the terminal to cool down and try the internet again. The internet was still a no go but the air-conditioned terminal did the trick in cooling me down.

Back on the ship I had a nanna nap so I would be rested and be wide awake for the Opera House visit.

We were bussed over to the brilliant Historic Opera House (Teatro Amazonas) through the dimly lit 3rd world streets of Manaus. This stunning building was built in the 1890s in Italian Renaissance style.

Much of the materials for the construction were imported from Europe including 36,000 vitrified ceramic tiles set in a mosaic of the colours of the Brazilian flag.

Tonight we enjoyed a performance by the Amazonian Philharmonic Orchestra.











Everyone that went from the ship (7 bus loads) were so pleased they had gone and enjoyed this musical feast in the ambiance of this fantastic theatre.

We returned back to the ship just before 10.30 pm so I went up to the Crows Nest for a night cap and have a bar snack and catch the last few songs of Wayne the Piano Man before going to bed at 11.30pm.


Sunday 4 December 2016

The sun was out today when I woke and I made it down to brekkie in the PG. The river even looked nice in the sunlight and it was a bit of a shock to see so much pollution in the water by the wharf.

Even at 9 am when I went out on the veranda it was very hot and still so I adjourned to the cabin to get some work done and enjoy the Air-conditioning.

As we were still at Manaus until 3 pm I decided I didn’t want to melt in the heat I would stay on board.

At lunchtime I had a beaut steak sandwich and sat with Kenneth the Beverage Manager in the Lido.

I had an extended nanna nap of 2.5 hours before going up to the Crows Nest for happy hour and enjoy the views of the mixing of the clearer waters from the Rio Negro joining the muddy waters of the Amazon.


As usual I held court at the bar with David and Eileen and now many folk are coming up to say hello and want to chat also.

After dinner I had 2 night caps and called it an early night as I was in bed by 10.45 pm.

Monday 5 December 2016

By the time I had gone down to brekkie we were anchored off Parintins Brazil our river port for today. Today’s tendering was by local river ferries so with the extra capacity it was open tendering within 45 minutes. After my leisurely brekkie I headed off to get the ferry across to the dock. 







There was a shuttle bus to take us into the city of 120,000 locals. I was impressed with this city as it was much cleaner and tidier than some of the other port towns. The people were very friendly and the local boy scouts acted a guides and it gave them a chance to practice their English. We were certainly made feel most welcome.

The usual street markets were set up selling local handicrafts and souvenirs. After about an hour of walking around I got the shuttle back to the ferry and returned to the ship.
 Had a Papaku Masarap Chicken Burger for lunch and by this time it was getting very hot on the Lido so I went down and had a shower and a 2 hour nanna nap before Happy Hour.

We had great views as the ship turned around to head downstream to our next port. It was very cloudy so there was no sunset.

I had a fun dinner with the waiters providing the entertainment as the dining room was very quiet.

I went up to the Crows Nest for 2 night caps before calling it a night by 10.30 pm.


Tuesday 6 December 2016.

We were greeted by views of white sandy beaches as we arrived off Alter Do Chao, Brazil.  I was amazed how much cleaner the water was to the waters of the Amazon. Of course we had left the Amazon and were now anchored a little way up the fresh water Rio Tapajos.



After brekkie I waited until open tender and set off to explore the small town. I was impressed by the clean and tidiness of this little town and the friendliness of the people.

After an hour ashore and having spent a princely sum of $10US on souvenirs I set off to return to the tender. We had to walk over the very hot white sand to reach the pontoon. I think I ended up with half a ton of sand in each of my deck shoes.













 OMG all the old farts were puffing and panting as if they had done a hours workout at the Gym by the time they reached the Pontoon. Boy oh boy it was hot and humid and it was a relief to be moving in the tender catching the breeze.

Back on the ship I had to go inside to the Lido to have lunch. I had 2 delicious drumsticks and made a ham and lettuce sandwich.  Then it was nanna nap time.

 Happy hour was fun and the meeting of the waters of the Rio Tapajos and the muddy Amazon were great to be witnessed from the height of the Crows Nest as we sailed back into the Amazon.




After dinner I went to the Indonesian Crew Show which was a fantastic display of national pride. I was amazed and pleased to see the large crowd that had stayed up for the show as it started at 11 pm.

I was in bed before midnight.


Wednesday 7 December 2016

With the fast running current we seemed to be moving along very quickly as we made our way towards the mouth of the Amazon when I woke up.

After brekkie I went up to the King Neptune Ceremony for crossing the equator. It was heaps of fun with crew having to front Neptune’s Court for hilarious charges and then having to ‘Kiss the Fish’ before having to jump into the pool.

We actually crossed the equator at 10.17 am so now I’m back in the Northern Hemisphere again and at 11.45am were out of the Amazon and back in the Atlantic Ocean.

To celebrate I had a Wine with Fr Thomas the Catholic Priest and Franz before having a hot dog for lunch.

After all this excitement I then had my nanna nap before going up to Happy Hour in the Crows Nest.

Tonight I went to dinner with Kenneth at the Papaku table in the dining room. As usual it was a fun meal and Ken is always great company. Franz joined us for a cheese platter at the end of the meal.

I adjourned with Franz to the Crows Nest for a night cap and called it a night about 11.30 pm.



Thursday 8 December 2016

A beaut sea day with blue waters and a bit of motion in the ocean welcomed me when I woke up this morning. Fantastic sleeping conditions so I slept in until 7.30 am.

I only had a light brekkie as I had the cooking class later in the morning.
Now that we have left the Amazon the laundry service has resumed so I had heaps of laundry to send out.

At 11am there were only 6 of us for the cooking class in the little Culinary Arts Centre of the Prinsendam. What fun we had making the following:-
Spicey Lemongrass Chicken Soup, King Salmon with Lemon Herb Splash and Grand Marnier Chocolate Volcano Cake.





Then we adjourned up to the PG where the chef prepared the menu for us. It was a great group and fantastic company for the leisurely lunch.

I had a long nanna nap and was nearly late for Happy Hour.

Dinner I went with Franz to the PG which was fun.



 Tonight was the Officer’s Ball but I elected not to go and went up to the Crows Nest to listen to Wayne at the piano and had 2 night caps.

I was in bed by 11.30.


Friday 9 December 2016

I only had a light brekkie as this morning we had the Mariners Brunch and reception so I didn’t want to over eat. (It’s a never ending battle with the waistline.)





The reception was crowded as nearly 80 folk were getting their bronze medallions and a handful their silver, no Gold or Platinum awarded.

Then there was the senior Mariners recognition for the Platinum and Presidents Club in the room. So I was called out to have a photo with the Captain and Staff Captain.


 It was so funny when they called out my name and as most folk on HAL ships know me as Papaku they were taken by surprise and even the Captain exclaimed ‘Papaku’.

I sat with David and Irene at the brunch so that was fun as they were awarded their Bronze earlier.

It turned out a big day of eating as I went to Dinner in the PG with my Dutch Friends Aart and Charlotte. They are always great company and the meal was excellent.

I had 2 night caps and then had an early night as I was in Bed by 11 pm.


Saturday 10 December 2016

We arrived at Scarborough Tobago, as I was having brekkie in the PG and many were looking forward to getting their land legs back in use after 3 sea days.

Today my friend Franz left the ship to return home for Christmas.
















It was hot and humid but sunny for our day ashore. I went for a walk down the main street and joined other guests and some crew for a local beer in a sidewalk pub, well a tent kind of cover. It was out of the sun and the local beer was cold. There was free wifi there even though a bit slow it was a bonus.

I made it back to the ship for a late lunch and had to sit in the Lido as it was too hot out by the deck.

Putu one of the lads in the Lido has seemed to have adopted me and looks after me by organising my lunch so I don’t have do battle with the overweight pushy shovey super hungry old folk worried the fool will run out or it will be their last meal.

I made a crumbed fish sandwich with lettuce and tomato. Oh the chicken drumsticks were just perfect.

The 3 hour nanna nap went down very well and I was a bit late for Happy hour.

I went to dinner at the Canaletto with David and Irene for a fun night as we were the only guests there so the staff joined in the fun also. 

They are a great team up there and Annie with her Balinese sense of humour just tops it off.



We went up to listen to Wayne while we had our night caps in the Crow Nest. I was in bed by midnight.



Sunday 11 January 2016


We had already arrived in Kingston by the time I made it down to Brekkie. It had been raining so everything was looking very green and clean when the sun came out.





I went into the terminal to have a look around and learnt as it was Sunday all the shops were closed. Jim and Nova invited me to share a taxi with them and have a drive around for a few hours, so I agreed as it would only cost $20, what a bonus.








The taxi turned out to be a minivan and we ended up with a total of 7 in the van. The tour ended up being 3 hours and was well worth the 20 bucks each. I now know lots about St Vincent and the town of Kingston that I didn’t know before.

I made it back for a very late lunch and didn’t have time to have my nap before Happy Hour.

I invited Ron and Sharon to join me for dinner in the dining room so that was a fun filled meal and we were the last to leave the dining room.

I adjourned with Ron to the Crows nest for a night cap as Sharon wanted to see the show.

I only had 2 drinks and called it an early night as I was in bed by 11 pm.


Monday 12 December 2016

Today we arrived at St George’s Grenada and while I was having brekkie Jim and Nova invited me to join them on a taxi tour of the Island which I accepted.

We met at 10 am at the gangway and got a very comfortable mini bus so the 5 of us had heaps of room. I sat up front with the driver.

What a beautiful and clean place to visit and our 3 hour tight in tour of the city and the countryside was a pure pleasure.







We went to a local spice shop in the hills and were showed the various spices and how they were processed. For example I thought nutmeg came in a bottle from the supermarket, well I was surprised how big a fresh nutmeg was and how it was processed. The ladies bought heaps of spices to take home with them.
















OMG this lush and very green island is very hilly and the way the locals build on the steep slopes is a feat in itself.

The tour included visits to the old French Forts, the modern University, the sporting stadiums, waterfalls and heaps of historical buildings.


I had a late lunch and was joined by Fr Thomas the young Catholic Chaplin for the cruise. What an interesting bloke he is and was great company. He even got a laugh when I showed him my Saint Patrick photos from last year.

I didn’t have time to have a nanna nap before Happy Hour as I wanted to down load my photos from today. The sail away views of this historic port were brilliant from the Crows Nest during Happy Hour.

Sharon and Ron joined me for dinner so that’s was heaps of fun and we were the last to leave the dining room.

I only had the 2 night caps up in the Crows Nest enjoying Wayne’s music before going to bed at 11.30pm.



Tuesday 13 December 2016.

Today is a sea day so I had a leisurely Brekkie in the PG and then caught up with emails and banking.

At 11.30 I was invited to the VIP lunch in the PG. OMG the 5 courses were delicious and the fillet mignon was cooked to perfection. I felt so full after this great meal I had to retire for a nana nap.

Happy Hour was heaps of fun and the time went very quickly and 2 hours just disappeared.

I had dinner at the Papaku table in the Dining room but as I was not very hungry I just had a small Caesar salad with a few prawns. Kenneth came and joined me for a cheese platter and a Grand Marnier at the end of the evening.

I had the usual 2 night caps listening to Wayne in the Crows Nest before going to bed at 11.30 pm.


Wednesday 14 December 2016

I was out on the forward deck on deck 9 at 6.45 am for our arrival at Willemstad, Curacao. I got some great photos of this picturesque port that looks very Dutch (European).

The brekkie in the PG was fun as Bruce, Sue, Jim and Novar were the only others there when I arrived. These guys have been my day trip mates over the last 4 days as we have shared a van. We organised to meet up on the dock by the gangway at 10 am.

We arranged with a taxi van to show us around for 2 hours and then take us to a nice place for lunch then back to the ship.

I was amazed how clean and tidy the town and the countryside was as we drove around. We made a stop at the Cholobo Liquor Factory where we saw how the famous Blue Curacao Liquor was made and we even got a taste.





Then we drove out to a beach where we had a great lunch at Playa Porto Mari. The fresh snapper was brilliant.






A tropical downpour set in for about 15 minutes and as the place had no sides the rain was blowing in and we all had to shelter in a huddle in the middle of the building. Thank goodness we had just finished our lunch.

It was a bit of a wet trip back to ship over a bumpy road and we had to go through water over the road caused by the heavy rain.

I didn’t have time for a nana nap before I went up to Happy Hour.








We had a beaut happy hour and then I went to Fish and Chips with Ron and Cheryl on the Lido deck. It was a great meal and beaut to eat outdoors in the mild weather.






Just before sail away at 11.30 pm the city put on a fantastic fireworks display for the HAL ships on port.

I finally made it to bed about 1 am.


Thursday 15 December 2016

I had a sleep in and then a light brekkie before getting organised for our day out in Oranjestad, Aruba.

The usual gang of Jim, Nova, Bruce and Sue joined me and we got a very comfortable new Van with a very pleasant and informative lady driver.








Aruba , what a great tourist place it is, so clean and tidy with very friendly people that take pride in their island. The beaches were postcard perfect and offered all the facilities and they didn’t seem to be over crowded.



We had an excellent lunch in a seafood restaurant and the calamari was the best I have had since my birthday in Santorini Greece.



Back on the ship I had a short nanna nap before Happy Hour and we had fantastic views of the port, city, airport and the reefs off shore during the sail away.


 I organised a group of six to go to the Apostleship of the Sea Christmas Party in the Canaletto for dinner. Of course the meal was excellent and Fr Thomas was overwhelmed with the large number of 65 that attended. By the way the majority were not Catholic but as this priest is a genuine good bloke he has the respect of the guests and most importantly the crew.


 It just proves that if you put younger priests on board who are willing to work and mix with everyone they are much more effective than some old retired priest that is just having a little holiday away from his retirement home.

I called it an early night at 10 pm after a night cap in the Crows Nest.


Friday 16 December 2016

Today is the first of 2 sea days as we cruise towards Fort Lauderdale so I had a sleep in and went down to Brekkie at 8am.

I caught up with some paper work, emails and Face Book in the morning before going up to my Lido office to have a Guinness.

I love sea days as they are very restful especially at the end of the cruise. I had a few photos with the crew before going down for a nanna nap.

Happy Hour was a hoot and heaps of fun as we cruised by Cuba and Haiti. The views from the Crows Nest were great and the seas very calm. Now and then we would spot small fishing boats with only one or 2 folk in them.

Tonight was a Galah (Gala) night and only about 20% get dressed up and the remainder were in smart casual. Honestly who ever changed the ‘Formal to Gala’ has really stuffed it up as nobody knows what to wear. I wore designer jeans (a NO NO a few years ago) a white diner jacket and a black skivvy. Many commented on how smart I looked.





I only had the 2 after dinner drinks and headed off to bed about 11 pm.



Saturday 17 December 2016

I woke early and started the packing process before going to Brekkie.
After brekkie I finished off the packing which was an easy job as for the last 10 days I have had my laundry folded, so easy to pack.

It is another calm sea day and the outside temp is a pleasant 27C or 81F.



I joined Dave and Fr Thomas for a pre-lunch drink before going into the Lido for a roast pork sandwich for lunch. Kenneth joined me for lunch.

Then it was off to have a nanna nap before Happy Hour in the Crows Nest.

Tonight I had an early dinner in the Pinnacle Grill with my day tour friends for our last supper. As usual it was an excellent time and meal.

I went up to the Crows Nest to hear Wayne for the last time and to say my goodbyes. The bar was unusually crowded as folk gathered to have their last goodbye drinks.

I called it a night at 11 pm but as we had to move the clock back an hour it became 10 pm so an early night. All I had to do before going to bed was to put the bags out in the hallway for collection. With the amended time I was in bed by 10.30 pm.


Sunday 18 December 2016

The ship was already alongside the wharf when I awoke at 5 am and the lights of Fort Lauderdale were very bright compared to the small ports and communities we had visited on the cruise.
Brekkie was a bit of a sad occasion with all the sad goodbyes that had to be said. I got a surprise when Franz walked into the Pinnacle Grill to say G’Day. He had to get some supplies for the Chef.




About 9.30 pm I departed the ship and I must say the Immigration/Customs procedures went very smoothly and in no time I was out getting a cab to go to the Hotel. The driver was a bit snooty as it was only a 10 minute fare.
Of course I checked in too early for my room to be ready so they let me stay in the Breakfast room where I had wifi access and could help myself to the snacks.

It’s a nice warm partly cloudy day and the temp is in the high 20s C.
I walked over to the CVS Pharmacy to use the ATM and get some supplies for a snack. I even bought a nose pad repair kit to fix my glasses.

After my snack I had a couple of hours nanna nap before getting ready to go out to dinner.

Susan picked me up in her BMW convertible sports car to take me to dinner. Our friends Liz and Marcel together with Liz’s parents Jim and Dottie joined Franz, Susan, Russell and me for dinner at Coconuts.






What a great night we had at this open air restaurant with an excellent menu. It was beaut to get to know Jim and Dottie they are a lovely couple. For the rest of us it was a bit of a reunion as we first met on the 2013 World Cruise.

Liz, Marcel, Jim and Dottie are going out on a Caribbean cruise on the Ms Rotterdam tomorrow.

I called it a night about 11.30pm.



I will end this blog here and start a new one tomorrow for the Ms Veendam Panama Cruise over Christmas and the New Year.



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