sir pat's travels: ms Volendam Trans Pacific Cruise Sept 2013

27 Sept 2013

It was an early start to get to the airport just after 4am to check in for the flight to Brisbane with the connection to LAX. My brother John slept over and drove me to the airport.

The flight down went very smoothly and I had a nice English lady to chat with so the time went very quickly.

The check-in at the Brissie International terminal was very efficient going through Immigration was a breeze so I was in the Qantas Club in no time at all. I had just over an hour to relax before boarding the LAX flight.

I had a beaut bulkhead seat and it was the only row in the compartment and a bonus of a spare seat beside me. The bloke on the other isle also had a spare seat beside him so we had heaps of room to spread out. The service was great and I was able to get a good sleep.

The arrival at LAX and the immigration and customs went very smoothly. After getting my luggage I filled in time by having a coffee before catching the shuttle bus out to Long beach to stay on the Queen Mary overnight before boarding the ms Volendam.

I was the last drop-off from the shuttle and to my shock and horror discovered my hand luggage duffle bag was missing. The driver said he would check at the other stops to see if someone had handed it in and he would have it returned to me. In this bag was all my meds for the next 2 months, my toilet bag, my cameras and other medical supplies also a few changes of clothing. So this started a big chain reaction and after 19 hours of travel I needed this like a hole in the head.

I rang or was put on to just about every agency possible from the shuttle company who didn’t want to know me, to the Police who said I would be very lucky to ever get it back, and many other lost and found agencies.

I phoned my brother to see my chemist and obtain copies of my prescriptions and email them to me. I had the hotel staff print off the copies, but discovered I could not use them in America. It was suggested I give them to the ships Dr after I got on board and he would be able to help me. So this is what I did.

So with all this drama I was not in the mood to enjoy the old QM as much as I would have liked to and naturally I didn’t sleep too well that night.

Sat 28 Sept.

I started ringing around again to see if my bag had turned up anywhere but it was nowhere to be found.

I realised my supply of contacts were also in the bag as well as my glasses, so I only have the contacts that I am wearing and fortunately I had an old pair of glasses in one of the other bags. With no toilet bag I had to buy a disposable razor to have a shave.

The good thing about staying on the QM was that it was only a 50 metre walk over to the Cruise terminal so in no time at all I was settled in my cabin on board the ms Volendam. I was so relieved to be on board and get unpacked. I had yummy stir fry for lunch at the Lido bar with a bloody Mary.

I missed the Dr’s hours for the day so will see him tomorrow morning. I met a nice young lady when we were boarding so I arranged to have dinner with her as she was alone. She was great company and we had a very enjoyable meal and were the last to leave the Dining room.

Sun 29 Sept

I had a relaxed 14 hours sleep as we sailed across the Pacific so I missed the morning Dr’s consulting time. As I woke up just after mid day I had a small stir fry again for brunch and I knew my blood pressure was getting high so I went to the medical centre when it opened at 2 pm and the nurse took my BP and we were both shocked how high it was. I left the scripts with her and she told me to go and rest and then come back to see the Dr at 5pm.

I had another 2 hours sleep before going back to the Dr. He was a nice young Filipino and he was able to give me medication with different brand names to my Aussie meds to last me to when I get to Sydney. He wants to monitor my BP every few days just to see if they are working ok.

I am not stressed now and after an alcohol free day I just has a snack in the lido for dinner and will have an early night.

We will loose satellite email contact soon and will not have it back until we arrive in Hawaii in four days time, so I will try to get this away tonight.

I feel I can start enjoying the cruise from tomorrow

Mon 30 Sept

I awoke just after 6 am after having a bit of a restless night dreaming about the black duffle bag.

I went up to the Lido where I met me good friends of many Pacific crossings Dave and Ruth. I joined them for tea after I had finished my brekkie. They lent me their BP monitor so I can now take my on BP and keep an eye on it.

I went to Good Morning Volendam hosted by Bruce the Cruise Director. Bruce was the CD on the past 2 world cruises on the Amsterdam. So it was good to catch up. Later in the morning I met Nick the Bar manager and his assistant bar manager Andrew.

I had a Bloody Mary at the Lido bar before getting some stir fry for lunch at the bar. At 2 pm I went to the wine tasting which was conducted unlike any other I had been to. It was beaut in so far we moved around and I didn’t have to sit beside some boring wine snob rabbiting on and on.

After a short nanna nap I went up to the Crows Nest for Happy Hour. It’s a pity that on this cruise there is only one Happy Hour time and that is 4 to 5 pm in the Crows Nest or in the Ocean Bar. With over 600 Aussies on board these 2 venues are packed for that hour.

I went to dinner and had a great meal. I elected so sit by myself as I didn’t want to have a late night. I got back to the cabin just after 9.30 pm to find we had a satellite connection and was surprised to find so many best wish and concerns emails which I sincerely appreciate. I was able to get out a general Thanks email before we lost the connection.

We had to wind the time back again so with the adjustment I got to bed at just after 9.39 pm. I had a great nights sleep and had normal dreams, well normal for me. The black duffle bag was not amongst those dreams.

Tues 1 Oct 2013

I awoke at 6.30 so went up to the Lido to get a cuppa green tea and some brekkie. I caught up with Ruth for a short chat.

After my shower I took the BP and was fairly pleased with it as it had gone down a bit. Then I went down to the medical centre for them to check and monitor it. Boy oh boy it was up and as the Dr was walking through he said I better start taking the BP medication twice a day to see if it settles down.

I had a Bloody Mary before I had my lunch in ‘my office’ on the Lido deck. It is a beautiful sunny day and the temp is in the mid 20’s so many folk are eating outside in the sunshine. Of course the crew are giving me the royal treatment with the majority of the Filipino and Indonesian staff already calling me Papako.

After lunch I went down for a nanna nap before going up to the Crows Nest for the 4 pm Happy Hour. It was crowded however I have my reserved stool at the bar. I try to get up there a bit before 4 pm and I get a stool and reserve one for my new drinking mate John. If John gets up there before me, he reserves mine for me. Because of the BP problems I have cut down dramatically on my drinking until it all stabilises.

I went up to dinner and sat with a nice Aussie couple and had an enjoyable meal with great company and as usual we were one of the last to leave the dining room.

I then took in the John Denver impersonator show in the theatre. It was great and a very enjoyable concert and sing-along to all the JD favourites.

I got to bed about 11.30pm.

Wed 2 Oct 2013

I had a good nights sleep and awoke at 6.30am. I got ready and went up to the dining room this morning for a change. It was nice to get full service for brekkie.

Today is the last sea day before we arrive in Hilo Hawaii, so hopefully we will have internet as we approach Hawaii.

I am still a bit concerned with the BP as it still hasn’t stabilised as yet even though the Dr increased the medication yesterday. I went down to the medical centre to see what they had to say.

Well the BP was up on their monitor (198/103)but the Dr told me I was worrying to much and the anxiety was keeping the BP up. He gave me 2 pills to calm me down and told me not to worry and go and enjoy the cruise. I asked him if I could have a few drinks and he told me of course and that they would relieve the stress. He reminded me the medication would take 3 to 4 days to stabilise the BP and just come back in 3 days time for them to check on the progress.

So now I am going to take his advice and start living the cruise.

Tomorrow I can go to Wal-Mart in Hilo and replace my cameras and some of the other items that were stolen.

I have been over welled by the emails from many of you guys and I thank you for and appreciate them.

The front office has given me the breakdown of nationalities of the guests on board:-

· Aussies 567

· Canada 307

· USA 312

· Poms 61

· Dutch 15

Kiwis 14 The remainder come from 11 0ther nations and the ship has 1351 passengers on board.

I checked out the Seaview bar and had a Bloody Mary then got a great stir fry and proceeded to eat it at the Lido bar. There was only James the Hotel Manager and myself having lunch at this bar. I also had another Bloody Mary.

As we seem to have email connection I will try to get this update off now.

I had a nana nap and made it up to Happy hour late but just in time to get a final drink. My mate John had been holding a seat for me but had to give it up when I didn’t turn up in the first half hour.

Tonight I had the formal Mariners cocktails with the Capt and senior crew which went off very well. Niek came over to join me but the Aussie snob suite lady sitting beside me, when she realised an officer was talking to me took over and told him all her gripes. Niek handled it very well and tried to pacifier her.

Why do I attract these boring snobs. She was a bit upset as some of the officers were coming up to me and saying Hello.

I had a beaut dinner later and after dinner called it a night about 10.30 pm. We have to put the time forward again tonight.

Thur 3 Oct 2013

I went up to brekkie and joined Ruth and Dave and enjoyed the views as we sailed into Hilo. We arrived and were able to leave the ship at 10 am, well you should have seen the stampede of folk with cabin fever after 4 days at sea. I waited until just after 11 am to depart and caught the shuttle to Wal-Mart to replace some of my stolen items back in LA.

After an hours shopping I went around to Safeway where I got free good strong wifi. I was able to call home and catch up on the news.

I got back to the ship just in time for the 4pm happy hour. I felt today I am back to normal well as far as what normal is for me. The BP seems to have stabilised and I have started having a great time.

I had a most enjoyable dinner with a nice Aussie couple that have only been in Australia for 6 years and came from South Africa. As usual we were the last to leave the Dining room.

I had a night cap at the sports bar before going to bed about 11 pm.

Fri 4 Oct 2013

We arrived in Honolulu at 8am so when I went up to Brekkie at 8 am most of the crowd had gone and I was able to have a leisurely brekkie and had a lot of banter with the folks at nearby tables about Vegemite. They bought me out a jar of Vegemite to have with my toast.

In went ashore and met up with one of my annako Axis who looked after me for the time ashore. We visited Ross and I got a pair of track suit pants to replace the ones in the stolen bag. I then took him to the nice little café I found last year so we could use their free wifi. We spent about an hour on the wifi and returned to the ship about 4 hours later.

I got a late lunch and made the 4 pm happy hour and then went down to the Hawaiian BBQ on the Lido deck.

The local entertainment was excellent. I sampled some of the local beer but didn’t eat as I will go up to the dining room just after 8pm.

I had another enjoyable meal with another Aussie couple from the Gold Coast hinterland, and as usual we were the last to leave the dining room.

I will go up to the Crows nest for the sail away party at 11 pm. We will have the next 5 days at sea so I most likely will be out of contact.

I will try to send this off tonight.

Well we arrived at American Samoa this morning after 5 sea days, it is also great to revisit tropical Pago Pago.

The crossing has been very smooth and the weather has been fine.

The cruise is going very well and today I’m going ashore with The Dining Room Manager and the Bar Manager and some of the other officers to one of the beach resorts for a swim and a few drinks.

Well we had a great meal and a few local beers to drink. The heat changed as we then had a tropical downpour that went on for hours.

Sat 6 Oct 2013

It was just 8 am by the time I woke up so I made my way up to the Lido for a light brekkie.

Today at 11am I went to the Mariners Cocktails before the Mariners lunch. I was selected to be one of the 9 to join the Captain for the meal. It was a great meal and the company was excellent. Capt. Jeroen Baijens was a perfect host and kept the conversation lively and enjoyable.

Tonight is the Black and White formal night and some of the ladies at the lunch table have invited me to join them at their table for dinner tonight so I’m looking forward to that.

I didn’t have time to have a nanna nap before the Happy hour in the crows nest where I caught up with my mate John.

I then had to get scrubbed up for the formal Black and White night.

I joined the ladies at their table and there was one other Aussie couple and a Canadian lady. As it was a formal night we were also joined by an officer so he looked after the wine for the meal. Tony is the 2^nd engineer on the ship and came from the Philippines. He was very nervous as it was the first time he had hosted a table. We had him relaxed in no time at all.

The table mob asked me after the meal if I would like to join their table permanently as they had enjoyed my company. I think I will as it is a great combination of folk. The table number is 69 and that number is one of my lucky numbers.

I didn’t bother going up to the Black and White ball in the Crows Nest and instead I had a night cap in the Ocean Bar. I was in bed just after 10.30 pm and as usual had a beaut nights sleep.

Sunday 6 Oct 2013.

I awoke just before 8 am, got ready and went up to brekkie. I had a quick chat with Ruth and Dave on the way through the Lido deck. Papako is back!!! The kids are waiting on me hand and foot and spoiling me heaps.

I went to the Lido pool side for the Oktoberfest German beer festival and I seemed to be the only passenger that was given a big beer stein hat to wear. They were playing recorded German music and would you believe some of the old farts complained because they were trying to read. As we all the empty vessels make most noise and the squeaky wheal gets the oil. So the music was turned down. So the big fat beached whales could lay around the pool and read in the sun.

Otherwise I had a great time and enjoyed the German food.

I went down and had a nanna nap before going to Crows Nest for Happy hour. We are starting to get a good group up at the bar so my mate John and I have had others joining us.

Dinner at my new table was great and lively conversation. I went to the Abba show which was good and then stayed on for the Filipino crew show.

It was down to bed just after midnight.

Monday 7 Oct 2013

It was just after 8 am when I woke so I went up and joined Ruth and Dave for brekkie. Then it was down to G’Morning Volendam which was a lot of fun. I went up to the Lido for a cuppa and met up with some Aussies and we chatted for hours which were very enjoyable. I was late in going over to my office at the Lido bar where I had a few Bloody Marys and a stir fry for lunch.

After all this activity it was time for the nanna nap before going up to the Crows Nest for Happy Hour. Our happy hour group is growing with mainly Aussies and a few Yanks. The boys look after us very well and make sure our bar stools are reserved for us.

Dinner was another fun meal and as usual we were the last to leave. One of the American ladies asked me if on the world cruise was I introduced to ‘cork forking’?

Well that started a chain reaction as she had also previously sailed with many of the folk at my table on the world cruise 2011. So you guys know who you are.

After dinner I called into the piano bar for a night cap and as Glenn the Aussie piano player was doing such a great job, I had a few more and ended up going to bed just after 1 am.

Tues 8 October 2013

I slept in after the late night last night. I joined Ruth and Dave for a late brekkie. The King Neptune ceremony was being conducted out on the aft Lido deck. It was so crowded and very hot out there that I didn’t even bother to go out there also I have crossed the equator many times by ship before and attended the show.

I had the usual Bloody Marys and a stir fry lunch before going down to the cabin for the nanna nap.

I caught up with the Happy Hour guys and we sorted out all the problems of the world. As I have mentioned before we have a good group each afternoon up at the Crows Nest.

Dinner was fun as there was only me and the ladies. The Aussie couple had gone to the Pinnacle Grill for their dinner.

Niek the bar manager arranged another Happy hour at 9.30 pm in the Crows Nest and as I had hinted previously to him about having extra happy hours I felt obliged to go and support the takings.

Well I was a bit disappointed with the small number that turned up so I haven’t had a chance to catch up with him so see what he had to say.

I was in bed by 13.40 pm.

Wed 9 Oct 2013

I was up and met up with Dave and Ruth for brekkie on the Lido deck by 7.45 after a beaut nights sleep.

I caught up with a bit of blog and computer work in my office. There are many interruptions with folk coming up to have a chat. I now what my friend Susan went through when she was trying to do computer work in her office on the Amsterdam.

Today they are having a big spread of tropical fruit on the lido deck at lunch time which seams to be very popular. Some of the folk were lining up 2 or 3 times to taste the different fruit.

I went up to my office at the bar for the Bloody Marys and the stir fry for lunch then it was down to the cabin for the nanna nap.

We had a full attendance at happy hour and the guys all exchanged stories so the time went very quickly. Tonight is a formal night and we had an officer to host our table. Ok you know the drill by now, the officer provides the wine at dinner.

We had a great dinner a and then I went up to the Crows Nest for happy hour and I was joined by the Ugly Aussie. OMG he has done 2 Cruises and proceeded to tell me he was an expert on cruising so I got my second drink then went down to the Piano bar where I was looked after. I finally got to bed just before midnight.

Tomorrow we will be in American Samoan so hopefully I will be able to send this update then.

Thur 10 Sept 2013

As usual it is always beaut to arrive at this tropical paradise. I went up to brekkie in the Lido and then had an easy morning before going off the ship to the local dockside markets. At about 1 pm I met up with some of the officers to go ashore and we went for about a 15 minute walk to Sadies where we had a few drinks and a fantastic lunch.

The heavens opened up with a tropical downpour and it certainly cooled down the atmosphere. We were virtually stuck there but as we had cheap wifi it was not a problem. In the end we had to get a cab from the resort back to the ship. The staff gave us plastic bags to put our phones and cameras in to save them from getting wet.

OMG we had to walk from the port gates back to the ship from where the cab could let us off, so we were soaked. Papaku had to take his shoes off as the water on the dock was in some places 2 inches deep.

Anyway as in North Queensland the rain was warm and I got back on the ship barefooted and looked like a drowned rat. So it was up to the cabin to change and get into dry clothes and up to the Crows Nest for Happy Hour.

Well they had a trivia on and all the serious old farts invaded our sacred site for the boys catch up. Thank God the trivia only lasted for about 30 minutes so the tight iced water brigade left us in peace.

Tonight I will wear my ‘Sir Pat’ shirt to dinner. But I will try to get this report off before we loose contact.

Saturday 12 Oct 2013

Today is another most welcome sea day and the big BBQ was held on the Lido deck. Wow the prawns were done to perfection. Our Yankee cousins could not get over the size of the ‘shrimps’ on the BBQ. Anyhow it was an excellent experience.

After the nana nap I met up with the lads for happy hour.

After dinner we went up to the Crows Nest for a night cap before going to the Indonesian crew show which was a fantastic show.

They had papaku up on stage for the final songs playing s bamboo shaker thingo. It was just after midnight by the time I got to bed.

Sunday 13 Oct 2013

We awoke in Suva Fiji and I had arranged to go ashore with some of the bar staff. The shuttle took us into town but as it was Sunday the majority of shops were closed. Some of the Indian shops were open so after doing a bit of shopping we had a nice lunch in the food hall.

The coffee shop was the next place to use the $2 per hour Wi-Fi. The crew had to be back by 2 pm so we walked back a couple of blocks to the ship. Actually it was a sunny day and not to hot or humid.

A police lady overheard the crew calling me Papako and came over and wanted her photo taken with me and could she also call me Papako so I have a new Fijian police lady annako. The term Papako and annako mean the same in Fijian.

We were shocked and horrified when we got up to happy hour as Bruce had started his Trivia and it was packed with some of the iced water brigade sitting up at the bar in a couple of ‘our ‘ seats.

Monday 14 Oct 2013

Another sea day so it was the usual sea day routine with the office, then bloody Marys, lunch and the nanna nap

Happy hour was great with no trivia and very calm seas as we sailed westward into the setting sun.

Niek the Bar Manager was our host for dinner on this formal night. He survived the ordeal and everyone was pleased with him and the group have invited him back fo another occasion.

I had a few night caps and was in bed before 11.30 pm. As we had to put the time back an hour I really went to bed at 10.30 pm.

Tuesday 15 October 2013.

We arrived at Port Vila Vanuatu on a bright and sunny day. I went of with some of the bar staff and walked to a nearby beach and had a swim. While we were there we were joined by the Captain and his wife. It was a great place as there were only about a total 10 of us and I would have been the only guest and the rest were crew.

After the swim I came back to the ship as I have been into the town many times before and had a late lunch. Wow it was beaut to have a shower and now I feel so clean after the swim.

Because it was a port day our happy hour was interrupted by the trivia non drinkers taking up our bar positions. This inconvenience has serious side effects on our group’s drinking.

The dinner table was a scream as I just happened to mentionthe Captain and his wife went swimming with us. Well madam five star at the table nearly choked on her soup with shock and surprise. Then there was a serious interrogation from her wanting to know how come the Capt. went swimming with me.

So the table strung her on a bit and I wasn’t going to tell her we were already in the water when the Captain and his wife joined us for their swim. She got so worked up she left with her friend before sweets and coffee.

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

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Wednesday 16 October 2013

The ship arrived at the postcard perfect tropical island of Easo Lifou New Caledonia. As I have been here a few times before I decided not to take the tender ashore and of course there is always a big rush.

I spent much of the morning in my office on the Lido updating my report and reading emails etc.

After lunch I had a beaut 2 hours nana nap before going up to happy hour. Yes the boring trivia non drinkers had taken over our bar so we had to reshuffle to get seats at the bar. They are so serious about their trivia they even try to stop us from talking.

I went to dinner at the pinnacle grill with Margaret, Mike and Dianne (Table mates from Table 69). We had a fantastic meal with excellent service and great company.

We got away from Madam 5 star who we now renamed Dame Edna and her companion poor little henpecked Madge.)

I called it an early night about 10.30 pm and didn’t even go for a night cap.

Thursday 17 October 2013

We arrived at Noumea for the last port of call on the Pacific crossing.

It was very tropical, with rain squalls, hot sunshine and very high humidity, so I made my way to my favourite café to have coffee and use the internet.

I was back on the ship for lunch and it felt great after a shower and getting into bed for the nana nap. After Happy hour I retired to my cabin and had a light room service supper and called it a very early night.

Friday 18 October 2013

A most welcome sea day, so I held court in the verious offices I have on the ship.

As it was a formal night and my last formal night at Madame 5 Star’s table I decided not to wear the Tux but a coat and tie instead. A pommy lady joined the table and to Madam 5 Stars shock dominated the conversation.

The young Dutch Engineer who hosted the table was not interrogated by madam 5 Star as he was able to have normal conversations with Mike and myself because of the new dynamics of the table.

Mike, Dianne and I went to the piano bar for a night cap.

Saturday 19 October 2013

The last sea day before and as over a 1000 would be getting off tomorrow it was a bit of a sad day had to say goodbye.

I sometimes think it would be better for me to lock myself in the cabin and avoid all the farewell drinks.

As Mike and Margaret were leaving, Dianne and I also decided we would make it our last night on Table 69 and allow Madam 5 Star to impress a new audience of table mates for the next 35 days.