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 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.
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’.
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.
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.
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.
