Written by Bruce Macdonald, ms Amsterdam Guest from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (pictured below)
Edited by Robert Perozak, ms Amsterdam Techspert
Day 1: Friday September 19th
We embarked the ms Amsterdam in Seattle, Washington on a slightly overcast day at 1:30 local time. After a long flight across the continent, we were hungry and lunch was being served in the Lido Restaurant.
Here are some pictures of our cabin and the Seattle Space Needle
Day 2: Saturday September 20th
The original schedule called for us to visit Petroplovask in Russian Siberia on the 28th but other cruise ship companies had recently been harassed by Russian authorities because of the West’s opposition to the Russian invasion of Georgia … so Holland America deleted that stop and included another port in Japan, Aomori, in addition to the planned Japanese stops at Hakodate and Miyako. This change gave us another day to sail westward across the Pacific to Japan … which we nearly used up today when a passenger was badly injured in the gym and needed to be airlifted to the nearest hospital. Since we were 200 miles off Vancouver Island, this required that we retrace our route eastwards until a helicopter evacuation could be undertaken by the Canadian military for transfer to the hospital at Canadian Forces Base Comox. The transfer of the patient from the moving deck to the hovering helicopter was pretty impressive and was certainly more thrilling than sailing the open ocean.
Day 3: Sunday September 21st
Another quiet day. I went to a teaching session on digital photography and learnt a lot of tips and started this blog.
Day 4: Monday September 22nd
Travelling westwards, we’ve gained an hour every night since getting on board ship. Of course, being out on the ocean, time means little and without looking at the daily newspaper, or the ship’s printed list of activities, or the mats in the elevators (which give you the day of the week), we’d not be able to tell you what day it was!
Whole days go by when we have nothing to report. Though we were in our cabin, the captain reported that a Canadian patrol plane, far outside Canadian waters, flew low above the ship this morning and radioed a “bon voyage.”
Day 5: Tuesday September 23rd
After lunch, I went to another lecture on setting up a website, which I actually found quite helpful. I was able to set one up online during the class, and tomorrow’s session will show me how to download photos and text onto it. If this works, I’ll be able to return to Ottawa with a website on our trip up and running!!!
Both yesterday and today were quite cool, windy and overcast, with large swells.
Tomorrow morning, we cross the International Date Line, which means that we don’t live on Wednesday at all … the day and the date of the 24th simply won’t exist on board ship. Out clocks go from midnight Tuesday to 12:01 a.m. Thursday … so there will be no entry for the 24th.
Day 6: Thursday September 25th
Not a lot to write about today because after losing a day yesterday I spent most of it napping!
Day 7: Friday September 26th
I went to a lecture on the Japanese ports of call at 11:00. The speaker used a lot of words to convey a rather modest amount of useful information but the audience seemed to like that style and he made some good points about banking and tours. Later I filled a few more hours with a movie.
Day 8: Saturday September 27th
This morning I went to an Ikebana demonstration and since I’m a florist with a small home business, I found this very helpful also. Her arrangements were quite beautiful.
The Digital Workshop Techspert (Robert) has asked if some of my entries could be used in the Holland America blog, so my career as a writer is about to begin! We’ll see how that goes LOL :)
Day 9: Sunday September 28th
Another day at sea before land .. a lot of people are very tired of sailing for 10 days without a stop and looking forward to just land, it could be an Island off the tip of Alaska they just want land, where as I myself could keep on sailing.
Day 10: Monday September 29th
Today we docked in Hakodate, Japan. We were up at 5:30 to see the ship reach port and took some pictures of our first sighting of land since Seattle … something that we wouldn’t normally do because we berth in an industrial dock area, nothing all that picturesque. We went into the town of Hakodate using the complimentary shuttle which was about a 20 minute ride from the dock. The shuttle took us to a community centre where we were met by school girls who practiced their English and handed out guide maps and city info. We walked along one of the main streets of the city down to the harbor, then up to Motomachi Park which had flower gardens and a series of historic buildings which included the city archives, a museum of photographic history, and the old public hall of Hakodate Ward. There were also a series of statues, including one of Commodore Matthew Perry who was the first westerner to officially visit the port in 1854. At that time, Perry’s fleet of American warships was engaged in opening up Japanese ports to foreign trade and Hakodate was one of the first 3 Japanese ports visited by Perry.
Panoramic view of Mount Hakodate
The city’s official fish is squid and in August they have a Port Festival devoted to the wiggly creature. Ottawa has festivals devoted to flowers and music … we’ve never visited a place where the feature of a festival was the squid!!! LOL Tonight’s show starred a group of about 30 local folk artists from Hakodate who sang, danced and played traditional instruments … all very unWestern and definitely different.
Day 11: Tuesday September 30th
Today we docked in Aomori, Japan, which is barely 40 miles from Hakodate.
Aomori can also be reached from Hakodate by the worlds longest submarine tunnel which is 33.4 miles or 53.7 km from one side under the bay to the other. I’ve yet to figure out why we had to sail from midnight till 6:30 this morning to make such a short trip, but the town is lovely! I took pictures of the harbor which featured some striking modern architecture. The ASPAM building is right on the harbor beside the dock and houses offices, a restaurant on the highest floor, and tourist info and commercial premises on the two lowest levels. It has an unusual shape, a very thin but wide equilateral triangle constructed of steel and glass. Beside it stands the Aomori Bay Suspension Bridge, designed in the artistic format of twin towers with an array of steel cables holding up the deck … very nice.
Aomori was completely rebuilt twice in the 20th century, once after a fire in 1910 then again after bombings in 1945, so for an old city it is quite modern in appearance.
Aomori City Park
Day 12: Tuesday October 1st
Miyako, Japan
The port of Miyako is it’s best feature!
The scenery with the trees right down to the water edge is very beautiful.
On the long walk into town we found a shrine along the way.
Day 13: Thursday October 2nd
A day at sea so onboard things are busy but not much happening otherwise.
We are sailing the ring of fire in Japan and we saw some volcanic mountains rising out of the sea but these are non active.
Day 14: Friday October 3rd
This morning we docked in Kobe, Japan.
When we got off the ship, we went to the tourist info desk and got directions to the train, then the subway to Shin Kobe Ropeway up Kitano Mountain. At the top was wonderful views of the city.
In the picture, the furthest land that you see is the Kobe airport all on reclaimed land. The city was practically leveled in 1995 due to an earthquake that killed 5,000 people. On the mountain was a flower and herb garden with a museum for scents used for perfumes and of course the usual gift shop but like every gift shop in Japan everything is made in China! We were able to walk partway down the mountain before picking up the Ropeway again to the bottom. On the way down was more herbs and a kitchen garden and glass houses (green houses) then we made it down to the last part of the ropeway and back to the subway. After getting off we got disoriented also because we were looking for Internet service but someone on the street helped us with their broken English and we found our way to the train which took us back to the ship. Later that night I took some night pictures from the ship one of a lit up Ferris wheel which changed colors every few minutes.
Day 15: Saturday October 4th
Our 2nd day in Kobe we got off the ship and took the free shuttle into town, the department store they left us at was interesting with 6 floors dedicated to ladies wear, from the top terrace I was able to get outside and take some pictures over the city. We went across the street to the Motomachi area which is an enclosed mall there we were able to use the last of our coins and found an Internet café. We made our way back to the shuttle and the ship for a bite at around 2:30pm but in the port I had my picture taken with some Geisha’s.
Day 16: Sunday October 5th
A day at sea,
went to a lecture about our next stop in Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China and the info was very informative.
Day 17: Monday October 6th
Our second day at sea
and tomorrow we dock in Shanghai. The Chinese immigration agents must have got on board in Kobe and sailed with us because today we were allowed to clear Chinese immigration with a face to passport inspection so we could get off the ship as soon as it was cleared in port. Later that day we went to a cooking demonstration accompanied with cards listing the ingredients so we could make these at home. (yeah right!!)
Day 18: Tuesday October 7th
Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China with now a population of 20 million people. We took the shuttle in to the Julong Silk & Craft and Exhibition Hall, it was quit informative how silk is taken from the silk worm and woven into lovely material.
Next we went to the Peoples Square and the Shanghai Museum to see the
Bronze exhibition dating back to 2000 BC.
and the porcelain exhibition dating back to 960 AD both had beautiful artifacts.
After many hours in the only touching the surface, I was tired and headed back to the ship so I missed some exhibitions including calligraphy, painting, sculpture, seal, jade, furniture, coins and minority nationalities art.
Just before supper I got some beautiful night shots of the city in lights,
then later we were lucky enough to be entertained by an acrobatic group while on board ship.
Day 19: Wednesday October 8th
The currency here is the Chinese Yuan and we had a couple of hundred to spend so we took the shuttle back into town today to do some shopping, as it turned out we did a lot of walking but very little buying maybe some post cards but we had the chance to buy Rolex Watches .. 3 for $5.00 USD.
The river we docked in is the Huangpu River and it is the busiest I have ever seen.
Day 20: Thursday October 9th
Today is a day at sea.
There is a digital workshop today on how to add video clips to a blog … of which you will now see lots of if I learn how LOL.
Tonight is a formal night and wearing red is part of Chinese night.
Day 21: Friday October 10th
Today is another day at sea a nice sunny day so instead of looking too white I should get a bit of sun and make it look like I have been away not all my time at a computer that is too much like home LOL.
Day 22: Saturday October 11th
We are in Hong Kong for one night and two full days, a beautiful port but a lot of smog so the night pictures look better.
Today I took the subway across Victoria Harbor to go to another shopping plaza to look for a new computer as my old one died on me but I didn’t t buy today. Then I took the ferry back to the ship.
Day 23: Sunday October 12th
Last day in Hong Kong and still no luck with the computer, the department stores are very large here and you can virtually walk for miles before getting what you want.
Night Laser Show Daytime view of The City
The Chinese Dragon is mythically portrayed as a long scaled creature with four claws, while in Western culture the dragon stands on four legs and portrays evil .
Day 24: Monday October 13th
Today we sail the South China Seas to Vietnam.
Day 25: Tuesday October 14th
Today we are in beautiful Da Nang, Vietnam. In the morning and mid afternoon it was very humid and scorching hot so I just took the shuttle into town and after a few blocks I got to see the street market but because I was hassled by vendors to buy everything under the sun I just gave up and left.
Driving is very different here seems like you just use your horn to get a vehicle out of your way LOL but no real road rage they just move and let the bigger vehicle have the right of way.
Day 26: Wednesday October 15th
Another day at sea, I was stupid and went out without my hat and in 10 minutes got very red!
Day 27: Thursday October 16th
Today we are in Phu My, Vietnam (pronounced Foo May). Another long shuttle ride to town about 45 minutes. I got some nice pics of people working in the country side but in town there wasn’t much unless you took a tour to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) which I didn’t LOL.
Day 28: Friday October 17th
Today is a day at sea, it started out very sunny but I spent a lot of time today at digital video class learning how to make a movie out of still photos .. and just maybe I will be smart enough to put it on this blog but the weather has changed for the worse.
Tonight is another formal night the ship has decorated the dining room again.
Day 29: Saturday October 18th
We are in Laem Chebang, Thailand. We choose not to visit Bangkok because it was just too hot and humid with a 2 hour bus ride. We weren’t planning to go to the Grand Palace so it just would be another very busy bustling city, so we took the shuttle to Pattaya City a beach resort and very pretty at that.
Lunch Time???? Are those Geckos or Rats
Day 30: Sunday October 19th
Another beautiful day and the shops opened at 11 this morning.
I decided I wanted a foot massage today especially after all the walking I did yesterday. There were millions of places to choose from but I wanted something clean, I found it and the reflexology was very soothing and a great price too!
Day 31: Monday October 20th
With a night of sailing we awoke in Ko Samui, Thailand. It’s a small town with crafts and other gifts for sale and very nice beaches. Unfortunately it was about to rain and overcast plus very humid, so I bought some shirts and a couple of postcards and left the island before the big rain.
Day 32: Tuesday October 21st
Another day at se as we travel toward Singapore, Republic of Singapore. The weather report in Singapore today is raining and it’s cloudy here too cause we’re just about 13 miles from the coastline in the South China Seas. Too bad it’s dark outside cause the Captain says this is the busiest part of the South China Seas to navigate.
Day 33: Wednesday October 22nd
Singapore is a very clean city. I wish we could have stayed overnight. It’s actually the cleanest city in the world, no littering (punishable by caning), no jaywalking (punishable by fine), no drug trafficking (punishable by death no questions asked), there are no grey areas in the law here and it is therefore a very safe city!
Singapore Port
I took the metro to near Raffles Hotel to have a Singapore Sling at the world famous Raffles Hotel which also contains the famous Long Bar.
Me in front of Raffles Hotel Friends throwing peanuts on the floor
Day 34: Thursday October 23rd
A day at sea as we crossed the equator this morning at approximately 6am when we had breakfast it was raining quite hard. This morning at 10am was a required boat drill but because of the inclement weather it was held indoors and we didn’t need to put on our life jackets again (yes there is a god LOL).
Day 35: Friday October 24th
Today is hot and foggy but a day at sea … and this is a good time or a foggy day LOL.
Day 36: Saturday October 25th
Today we dock in Bali, just one of the larger of the thousands of islands in Indonesia. The weather today is a hot and humid 33C or 92F.
The port we dock in Padang Bai, the sea water is the most vibrant and clear blue one has ever seen.
Many regard Bali as close to paradise, the region features Mountains covered with emerald green vegetation which tumble down (seemingly untouched) to the sea which is rimmed with pear white sandy beaches. Bali also has black sand because of an active volcano on the island but it last erupted in 1913 so I'm not too worried. I have plans to meet a friend who has hired a driver already and we will go to the resort at Katur Beach, the drive is about an hour and a half away. The country side is nice and we had a chance to see some rice paddies on the way but right now they’ve already been harvested. The city of Katur has high end shops and it’s what they call their Rodeo Drive.
The prices are very reasonable, or next to nothing. The currency is the Rupiah, 10,000-to-1 US dollar so it’s not hard to become a millionaire by visiting an ATM machine and taking out 100 dollars LOL. DVD copies are just $1.00 each and I was like a kid in a candy store hehehehe. Our lunch was at a Spa Resort and the Indonesian food I ate was wonderful (spicy noodles with sea food and chicken presented in a banana leaf). It was too bad we didn't have more time in Bali as it’s a very special and magical island.
Day 37: Sunday October 26th
Fist sea day of 3 and the next stop is Freemantle, near Perth, Australia.
The day is beautiful and sunny 29C or 84F. The Captain says the sea is 28C or 82F. and everybody seems to be out enjoying the sun and pools on the ship. This evening is the Red & Black Oriental Ball.
Dinning Room theme
Queens Lounge decorated for the Red & Black Oriental Ball
Day 38: Monday October 27th
Our third day at sea and it is getting quite rough.
Day 39: Tuesday October 28th
The third day at sea and I just can’t believe how blue the ocean is since Bali.
We now have warm days and cool nights, we are moving into Australia’s ending of spring so this is how the weather should be.
Day 40: Wednesday October 29th
We are in Fremantle, Perth, Australia. This morning was very cool at 17C or 62F but it warmed up very nicely.
A very clean town and easy to navigate. Perth was a short train ride away but I didn’t want to go into another city so I cheated and scanned a few pics.
Day 41: Thursday October 30th
We now have three more days at sea and arrive in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday. I went to some flower arranging demonstrations today.
David, the ms Amsterdam “Flower Genius”
Day 42: Friday October 31st
Today is Halloween plus our second day at sea.
The dining room is already decorated for tonight’s Halloween dinner then later is a Halloween Boo Ball in the Crow’s Nest DJ Lounge where the costumes worn by guests will be judged.
The Dining Room Theme for Tonight
It is quite nice to see so many people dress up in costume for this special night. I think everyone had a good time.
Captain Elton John with Queen on both sides
Sheik, Witch and Cat Lady
Day 43: Saturday November 1st
Today is our third day at sea, some people are still recovering from the fun party last night and others are excited to see Melbourne tomorrow. So basically it’s a quiet day and foggy in the morning but it will burn off and be warmer the further we turn west to around the bottom of Australia’s coast.
Day 44: Sunday November 2nd
A cool morning in Melbourne but this afternoon will go up to 30C or 86F.
I was to meet friends but I guess our messages got mixed up and that didn’t happen, so I took the shuttle into town, found an ATM and got my Ausie dollars and walked a few blocks to the Royal Botanical Gardens. Melbourne was populated by Greeks and now has more than the population of Greece. Melbourne is also well known for it’s beautiful flowers and it is the flower state of Australia.
Backing into Melbourne’s Port
Royal Botanical Gardens
Day 45: Monday November 3rd
A day at sea before Sydney, the seas were a little rough last night but I didn’t mind plus I had a nice dinner with friends that are leaving the ship in Sydney.
Day 46: Tuesday November 4th
This morning I arose early to see the ship docking in Sydney, Australia.
A quite beautiful city and the famous Opera House and the Harbor Bridge is right near where the Amsterdam was docked. As you might tell I’m a flower nut so of course I went to the Botanical Gardens here too.
That evening I went out with friends to see a musical at the theater “Percilla Queen of the Desert” … it was a very funny and good production.
Day 47: Wednesday November 5th
Our second day in Sydney, a friend drove us around Sydney so we went to Bondi Beach and Balmoral Beach followed by Bradley’s Head National Park. After this we went to the Yacht Club for lunch, back to his place for cocktails then to the Harbor Restaurant for dinner with some great views of the Harbor Bridge, the Ship and the Opera House.
Bradley’s Bay National Park
Bondi Beach Middle Harbor Yacht Club
Sydney Opera House in the background and Maritime Museum
Day 48: Thursday November 6th
A day at sea and another formal night tonight..feels like we have already done our required 12 formals.
Day 49: Friday November 7th
Second day at sea before New Caledonia, it was a very warm and sunny, 28C or 82F. and a lot of people sunning by the pools on the ship.
