Ship Life

What I wanted to share here are the pictures we took during our stay on the Amsterdam.  But out of context they would be pretty boring to you.  So here are some of my thoughts on why this part of the journey was important to me.  If you wish to read it please enjoy.  If not just look at the pictures.

What many people don’t know, even if you took a cruise before, is that it’s the length of this trip that determines the attitude of the ship.  Because we became a community or maybe a small neighborhood and knowing that we would be together for 69 days, we quickly made long lasting friendships.  Traveling throughout the ship daily, it was not uncommon to be sidelined and asked to sit for lunch or discuss whose going to what show and who is joining who for dinner. On excursions we always met someone new to share the experience with.  Our normal day would almost always begin with breakfast, getting smaller daily, and then a visit to the gym. After a vigorous workout (Ha) we would have to walk by the pool to see who was out.  But we could have gone to lectures, tai chi, movies or craft classes. I usually sit by the aft pool and read or socialize and Hank has a bridge foursome.  Then it’s time for dress up, dancing and dinner. After dinner we were provided a show every night and they were fabulous, from singers to magicians, to ventriloquists and Vegas performers.  Our favorite were the Unexpected Boys who performed songs from the “The Jersey Boys”! Awesome! After all this – a nightcap at Crow’s Nest put us over the edge.  But the formal nights were the most special because the entire staff decorated each room for the celebration of the day.  We were so impressed at the dedication.

In the early weeks of our trip, half of our table of 8 became free.  There was no animosity in this and we were actually grateful, because it meant we could invite our own guests. So we were able to invite the singing cast of the Amsterdam shows on one night, on another the beautiful string quartet who were so excited and grateful beyond measure, and many other of our other friends and crew throughout the remaining weeks.  This was a great opportunity to learn more about our companions and about ship life.  The most important thing I will take away personally is that every single person we met connected with successful guest pampering, always did it with a smile and did it because they love it.  From the quiet but happy house men who always made sure our laundry was delivered, our beds were perfectly sharp and the towel animals were friendly; to the waiters at our table who laughed at our selections for dinner but always had an interest in our day; to the girls in the show who joined us many times for lunch or dinner and always had a great story to tell; to the entertainment crew who really knew how to throw a party; to the Crow’s Nest bartenders who made better drinks then they should have; to the string quartet who played the songs we asked for as we walked in the room; to Jenna our friend and trainer even tho we were too lazy to follow her advice; all this camaraderie is there for the taking if you chose to acknowledge it. This is just a glimpse of the pleasure we have enjoyed, and before we leave, all these friends will know how great they made our vacation.

I am anxious and glad to be going home – it’s only 9 days away.  But today we had a visit from King Neptune who, after a prolonged and hysterical pool ceremony, allowed us safe passage through the Equator and tonight we have a party at dinner. Tomorrow night is the captains table dinner/Tropical night and Thursday there is something special to celebrate Thanksgiving. Friday is Hawaii.  So there is still much to enjoy and I want to do it fully.  By the time you see this it will all be over but never forgotten.  These blogs have been my journal of memories that will live in my heart forever.

See you all in a few weeks. We miss you all and can’t wait for the holidays!

Hugs, Maryann

                                     

Dining, Dancing and parties on the ship over the last few weeks.

Fiji – 11-19-10

The Island of Fiji, in my mind, was a tropical paradise with small colorful homes and large white sandy beaches! We are in Suva, Fiji and remarkably I was half right.  After an “E Ticket” bus ride (which Robin thought was hysterically funny), defined by the lack of shocks and air conditioning and the bad roads, we traveled through beautiful tropic vegetation.  Not like a jungle but more like green, red, yellow and orange leaves and trees both large and small arranged in an inviting display of lush landscape.  Yes there were little, well kept colorful homes aligned along the highway.  I use the term highway loosely - barely a road is more like it. But we saw no beaches of note, most of the shore is muddy and shallow. We did hear that the best beaches are to the North.

                       

However, the people are also colorful and amazing. We arrived at the Cultural Arts center, thankful to still be able to walk and headed for the small shops.  We are there to see a Firewalker and Dance presentation and were led by our island serenaders to stadium seats overlooking a gorgeous river and island.  The narrator was very clear in explaining the history of the Fiji Firewalkers and how this skill has been passed down each generation. Personally I felt the dancers had some coating on their feet - but that’s just me.  The dancers carefully prepared the hot stones and they expected great applause and shouts of “Bula” (which means Hello) when they walked across the fire.  Well we didn’t actually see the fire, we only presumed it was hot!   It was fabulous to watch and learn about this ancient ceremony.  They also treated us to other dancing scenes of their cultural past including a small fight with their neighboring tribe, which they won! The only problem with was that the losing guys got to “be” lunch – back in the day that is.  Then our kind narrator invited us “for” lunch! First we asked what (or who) was on the menu! Apparently, human tastes a lot like pork!

                         

Anyway, lunch was odd – the chicken??? was good and their staple is Taro Root.  The root is like a potato, tastes like a soft turnip but really has no flavor.  The leaf is cooked and looks like a broad spinach – but tastes smokily weird. So I noticed something slimy at the salad table and immediately told Mark as he loves that stuff and it turned out to be more of the root, in strings and mixed with coconut milk.  He said it was good but EWWWWWW! We passed some KFC’s on the way home but we were so jostled that we couldn’t speak to stop.  All in all it was a good trip but I think there is much more to see in Fiji. We heard that VJ Singh is building a house and golf resort here.

Robin and Maryann both collaborated together on this description. (Robin says she’s getting lazy AND she made me type this - ha ha ha – she really is just laid back like the islands we are visiting!)

Love to all – countdown is on – 12 days till home! XOXOXOXOX

New Caledonia 11-16-10

These pictures of new Caledonia will show we mostly beached and partied. It’s actually lucky we have sun because bad weather has been following us all the way. But as Linda always says “It never rains on my Parade”!  We only had a few hours here so we made the best of it. Burt, Linda, Hank and I went to do some shopping/internet work in the small town then we caught the local bus and headed for the beach. It was really a pleasant and relaxing day so had a picnic on the beach with some local sandwiches!

               

Mark and I found New Caledonia to be very French like St. Martin which is like home for us. The language came back to us immediately so it was great to speak it so readily. We were very excited to find our favorite rum, used in making “Tea Punch” – our favorite St. Martin drink!  For those of you who don’t know - it is a shot glass of special rum, lime and simple syrup!  MMMMMMM!!!!  So after 2 of those – each – we needed a nap. 

             

When we all returned from the beach we attended “sail-away” which is always pretty fun!

 

That night we took Jenna to dinner to celebrate her birthday. Technically her real day was in Sydney but we didn’t get together. So she had dinner with us and everyone, including the servers, sang happy birthday and brought a cake!  Later we took some Sambuca and Tequila up to the 10th deck, found a secluded spot on some Adirondack chairs and watch for stars.  We have not been able to see many on this trip which is a bummer. Usually the ships lights are too strong or we have too much cloud cover.

           

Love to all – Maryann and Robin XOXOXOXO

Sydney, Australia 11-14-10

               If truly there was a Paradise as sweet as San Diego, then Sydney is the place! We began the entry into Sydney harbor at 6:00 am which explains why we look a little sleepy. But the ship docked right between the Opera House and the Bay Bridge.  It was spectacular!  So we took tons of pictures but we’ll only subject you to the best but remember pictures are worth a thousand words.

                   

After a hasty breakfast a bunch of us hopped on the “On / Off” Bus to tour this fabulous city.  In the picture below (L - R) starting with Me, then Jimmy and Kelly (mom and daughter from Fla), in front of us is Sharon and Matt (crew mates), then Mark and Robin and some lady we don’t know.  Hank is taking the picture.  The blue and red lines took us first through part of the city then out to Bondi Beach and back into the city all the way to Darling Harbor where were chose to “alight”, per instructions from the recorded bus message.

                   

Darling Harbor is a vast area of shops, restaurants and docks.  We chose to eat lunch at Nicks, where we wanted to try “Bugs” (the Aussie meal like a lobster) but they were expensive so we had various meals of prawns and salads.  Great food and beer. It was very hot and we were all getting a bit tired so most of the gang headed back to the ship to rest and regroup for a night on the town.  Hank and I found out that the Wildlife Park was right here in Darling so we headed in to hold a Koala.  After strolling through bugs, spiders, bats and reptiles we finally made it to the Kangaroo’s!  There were only males in this facility and here’s where I learned we should have gone to the zoo in Brisbane as it is a different and less stringent state.  Here in New South Whales they don’t let you get too close to the animals.   But we did make it to the Koala’s just as the only one awake ran up a tree.  That’s the sign that the petting was done for the day.  We were able to get close enough for a picture though.

      

That night we went to dinner at a local place near the Opera House and watched the party scene take place on the Embarcadero below!  It was Saturday Night and the young people of Sydney were all there. 

         

Day 2 we hustled off to the harbor with Linda and Burt to get on a ferry to Manly Beach.  It was a fabulous half hour ride through Sydney harbor to the other side of the bay.  Manly is on the ocean side so it’s kind of like going to Coronado.  This was my favorite place of all. We walked about 2 long blocks down a promenade of shops and restaurants that were spectacular!  This led us to the white sandy beach at last - which was amazingly gorgeous. We slipped off our shoes and walked in the water for a long time. Several teams of children were cordoned off to run races in the sand and then run into the water.  They wear these funny hats so that parents and life guards can identify them.  Great idea! After a very satisfying lunch and some requisite shopping we hopped a ferry back to the harbor where we caught another ferry to Luna Park.  It’s kind of like Coney Island but way smaller. Back to the ship for a little rest and then Hank and I went back out again for dinner.  We were so lucky to find this restaurant among the Rocks called Vintage.  The Rocks are the original buildings created by the convicts who first arrived in Sydney back in the day.  It is a confusing array of alley ways with restaurants and shop in cubby holes.  But this cafe offered us something we’d been craving; sangria from Portugal and Fish in Piri piri sauce.  It was so fabulously good! The only missing ingredients to recreate our time in Portugal were Mark and Robin who were sleeping off a rather busy night and day.

                  

Sydney was simply spectacular and we can’t wait to go back.  However, our sandy beaches are just as good and our city is calling us home.

Hugs to all. Maryann

Hello from Mark and Robin.  So we really enjoyed our time the first day with all our friends and saw a lot of the city.  But we were eager to meet locals. While out to dinner we met 2 couples from Brisbane who were in Sydney for the weekend. They shared the evening with us by partying till 3 in the am. We have found the Aussies to be extremely friendly, love to party and tell stories of their past. The next morning we had to get up early to join them for breakfast but it was great fun in spite of being tired.  After that we met up with some ship buddies and headed off to Paddington open air market in the middle of the city! We found some good deals and ate a great lunch in China Town with John and Cathy. Pooped after all that we headed back to the ship, dinner and more good partying at the Crow’s Nest! We have met so many nice crew members and guests, it makes the evening visiting so much like family.

        

Yes Sydney is similar to San Diego minus the Opera House, but a little more dense. There is so much to see still that we’ll just have to come back. Two days were not long enough!

XOXOXOXO Robin