CHARACTERS ON BOARD!

Up to 1,380 passengers (passenger capacity of ms Amsterdam) will soon depart on a common journey to circumnavigate South America, and the world. Who ARE these people, having in common both available time and money for a world cruise ("WC")? All I knew - from what my camping friends said - was that they’d be “older”. I found my first real clues on Facebook (“FB”). This Summer, Holland America Line (“HAL”) created a “public event” on FB, called the “112-Day Grand World Voyage”, so we could “connect with fellow travelers”. Clever as this was, it paled in comparison to the mass of information available on http://www.cruisecritic.com/ . I spent days reviewing Cruise Critic’s (“CC”) “roll call” of cruisers and its “board”, containing thousands of posts about our cruise. Amazingly, people started posting about our (2012) WC in October 2010!

           To my surprise, many have taken this "once in a lifetime trip" several times and list HAL as an "interest" or "activity" on their FB page!  There are some true-blue, die-hard cruising enthusiasts here, who will tell you it's "addictive"!  There are also a few brave souls making the WC their very first cruise ever!  Repeat cruisers often book less expensive cabins, so they can afford to take more cruises.  The "board" is replete with ideas for shore excursions which are better and less expensive than HAL's.  Entry signatures on the "board" commonly contain a "countdown clock":  DHMS (Days, Hours, Minutes and Seconds until we leave)!

          DEMOGRAPHIC

         The demographic appears to be primarily American (with Florida and California well represented), Canadian and Australian - with at least one man from Spain (Alex R.), one from Germany (Michael S.) and a lady from France (Monique B.). For privacy, I use only first names (on CC, user names serve this function). There are several solo travelers (particularly female), but most travel in pairs. Most seem to be retired, with many retired teachers. But there are some younger folks, too, like Erika (a 31-year-old teacher) and even an 8-year-old, who’ll be home-schooled on board! Here’s a “snapshot”, based on FB and CC: 
                    Americans
                              Arizona - Scott & Karen, and Al and Robert
                              Arkansas - Bill & Marge
                              California - Chuck & Marilyn D., Donna K., Dee & Wells W., Linda & Pete W., John & Diane, Bill & Mary Ann, Inge, Dave & Karen, and Sondra (me) & Bill
                              Colorado - Susan and Jim & Peggy M.
                              Florida - Ruth B., Brad E. & Gloria B.; Linda & Hans T., Lynne & Charles, Mike & Paulene, Sam & Sally, Ricki & David, and Ralph & Kay
                              Hawaii - Dee & Wells
                              Indiana - Richard & Claire
                              Illinois - Jean & Doug, Barb & Chuck, and Jim, Carol & Maggie,
                              Maine - Paul
                              Maryland - Mimi
                              Michigan - Connie
                              Missouri - Alan & Annie
                              New Jersey - Arlene K. and Geri & Tom O.
                              New Mexico - Richard & Susan Y.
                              New York - Thaddeus & Jessica and Janet & Mike
                              North Carolina - Judy & Glenn
                              Oregon - Darrel & Karen
                              Pennsylvania - Erika P-R & mom Lynn, and Jim S.
                              South Carolina - Don/”Lord Kay”, Joe & Perla, and Nancy & Rick
                              Tennessee - Jean & Doug
                              Texas - Mike & Diane
                              Vermont - Patty C. and Patty & Anita
                              Virginia - Linda & Ralph
                              Washington - Judy & Mike
                    Canucks: Pat & Mel G-S, Irma & Bernd M., Barry & Jane S., Louise & Brian, Jean & Klaus, Frank & Mike, Allan & Marlane, Norman & Kathleen, Loretta & Siu, Jane & Barry, Anne & Alan, and Bob & Leslee
                    Aussies: Ros & Gary, Eris & John, Wendy & H, and Joan & Declan


HAL'S ms AMSTERDAM

          SERIAL CRUISERS AND INTERESTING TID-BITS
                    • Ruth B. (“oofroggie” on CC): She’s been on 2 other WC's
                    • Chuck & Marilyn D. (“Evolus” on CC): This is their 3rd WC; on HAL cruises for >300 days
                    • Bradley & Leslie E.: He’s been on 2 other WC’s; Brad’s “adopted” me as a WC new-bee
                    • Michael S. (“michaelfl” on CC): They’ve spent 60 days on HAL so far; his company (Siemens AG) built the San Diego Trolley; he was corporate counsel
                    • Jim S. (“Homeless” on CC): Was on 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011 WC – he’s not “homeless”; he lives onboard cruise ships!!
                    • Roberta T.: This will be her 1st cruise ever (yikes - didn’t want to try a weekender first, huh?); she can think of nothing else
                    • Dee and Wells W. and “Flat S[.]”: Stanley “had such a great time in 2010" (apparently did this before)
                    • Linda & Pete W.: Were on the 2010 Grand Asia/Australia cruise; retired from SD Unified School Dist.
                    • “Johnny B” (John and Diane): This is their 3rd WC; went in 2008 & 2010
                    • “aussieoz” (Jean & Doug): Celebrating 40th wedding anniversary with cruise; they’ve been on 3 long voyages on MS Amsterdam, 2007-2009 and 5 grand voyages in the last 6 years (they’ve spent 2 months each year on the Amsterdam; “she’s like a second home to us.”)
                    • “WCB” (Bill & Mary Ann): Went on 2011 WC too
                    • “ajcruiser” (Alan & Annie): “avid cruisers but WC virgins”; cruise is Alan’s retirement gift to himself
                    • “CaveDiving” (Scott & Karen): Their posts come with a resume-like list of all their past cruises – this is their 4th WC with HAL

                    • "Thad2x" (Thaddeus & Jessica): Completed his dissertation for his doctorate on the 2010 WC on Pacific Princess
                    • "happyglobetrotter" (Louise & Brian): 4 prior WC’s (2007, 2008, 2010 & 2011); shoot, they’re on a 70-day cruise to Asia and Australia, starting 9/26/11 – apparently as a “warm-up” to our WC – and they’re already booked for the 2013 WC!
                    • "alsas":  This will be their 9th WC on ms Amsterdam -- THE Grand Poobah's of world cruising on HAL (not far behind are ""Homeless" and "happyglobetrotter")
                    • “ColombiaSC” (Don, “Lord Kay of Shandon”/DK): Has sailed on the SS France, then Cunard, and the 2008 farewell WC on the QE2
                    • “bet410" (Barb): Went on 2009 cruise to Australia, New Zealand and So. Pacific; this is their 1st WC; they’re also going on the 2013 WC
                    • “carosave” (Jim, Carol & 8-yr-old daughter, Maggie): Maggie’s “older parents” (our age) will be home-schooling her; bringing teacher/nanny
                    • “judithbiggs” (Judy & Glenn): Also took the 2011 WC; closing in on 1,000 cruise days with HAL - seriously, Judy?  You're a Co- Grand Poobah too!!
                    • “Judy 068" (Judy & Mike): Celebrating their 40th anniversary and semi-retiring
                    • “latpj76" (Joe & Perla): Cruised 107 days in 2010 and 121 days in 2011 on Pacific Princess; canceled 2012 Pacific Princess WC to go on HAL, because they liked the itinerary so much
                    • “Aussie Ros” (Ros & Gary): This is their 23rd cruise, but longest was 35 days
                    • “Pupsy” (Inge): Her H died 11 years ago, and she’s been “globetrotting” ever since; her 1st WC
                    • “c&c4me” (Darrel & Karen): Their 3rd WC (on the HAL WC’s in 2007 & 2008)
                    • Rosalyn D-B:  about to do cruise #23 in 11/11; 250 days on HAL already (and more other other cruise lines)
                    • “iTraveler” (Dave & Karen): They’ve traveled extensively and cruise 5 months/year
                    • “westcoastswing” (Robert): On 25 cruises; in the classical and opera music business and looking for a rest
                    • “Charleston Lady” (Nancy & Rick): Were on 2008 WC
                    • "Eriemermaid" (Connie): Her 1st cruise EVER; traveling solo - brave soul #1
                    • "Russ0Phile": His 1st cruise EVER - maybe he’ll meet Connie!?

                    • ME ("legallyblonde")? My 1st cruise was a 1-week trip to the Mexican Riviera on Royal Caribbean (loved it); my 2nd was a 4-day trip to the Caribbean on Carnival for my best friend’s wedding (loved being with my friend; hated the cruise line); this is my 3rd . . .

EARLY REVIEW OF HOLLAND AMERICA

SO HOW IS HOLLAND AMERICA DOING SO FAR? I am going into this with all the enthusiasm in the world and expect to take from it an experience like none other. The jury is still out on whether I would recommend Holland America Line (“HAL”), of course. It is simply too soon to tell three (3) months into this process. Like people, businesses have strengths and weaknesses. To be fair, I’ve included the areas where I have been impressed, and those where my enthusiasm has waned thus far.
Summary:  Booking the Cruise: A
                  Business ethics: C
                  Web site: A+
                  Free-bees: A-

• Booking the Cruise
          HAL was accommodating in allowing me to receive the 3% discount for early full payment of the cruise fare, in spite of a minor “hiccup” in that process.

• Business Ethics/Money Matters!
          • Part 1: Exploitative Pricing for Daily Consummables
          When you pay $66,148 for a cruise, you would expect it to include food, sodas, water and other non-alcoholic beverages. On prior cruises, it was always the wine and alcoholic beverages that cost extra; everything else was included. Not so on HAL. They charge - and charge handsomely - for sodas, bottled waters and eating in their best restaurant, called the Pinnacle Grill.  It’s $25 per person, per night, to eat at the Pinnacle Grill ($69 per person for special events like "murder mystery" nights). Only the other restaurants are included.
          My interest was piqued one day when I watched a video on HAL’s web site, expressing their mission statement. They say they provide excellent service by anticipating their guests’ needs. This got me to thinking - Bill doesn’t drink much alcohol, but he can’t go from “here” to “there” without a Dr. Pepper or Mtn. Dew. What would happen if we got out there on this 4-month trip and couldn’t find these things? A sudden panic ran through my brain. So I shot off a “shopping list” to my travel agent, to ask that someone go to Costco and get 4 months worth of our drinks and deliver them to the ship for us.
          The response from HAL’s “Ship Services” was that they would deliver them, at these prices:
          Arrowhead Water Liter - $1.95 per bottle - plus 15% “service charge”
          Dr. Pepper - $2.95 per can - plus 15% “service charge”
          Mountain Dew - $2.95 per can - plus 15% “service charge”
          Pepsi - $2.45 per can - plus 15% “service charge”
          Corona - $4.95 per bottle - plus 15% “service charge”
          Bacardi Rum - $23 per bottle (size unk.) - plus 15% “service charge”
          Seriously? At Costco, a Corona (with tax) costs $1.16/bottle - so they’re marking it up by 467% + the 15% “service charge”. A Pepsi costs .35/can. They’re marking those up 700% + the 15% “service charge”.
          I don’t begrudge any person their livelihood or any business its (reasonable) profits, but these prices are ridiculous.  They know you’ll be “stuck” out there for 4 months, and so hike up the prices as much as possible. It’s highway robbery! I’ll go buy my own sodas, thank you!
          • Part 2: Inflated Excursion Costs in General
          As I was going through the shore excursions, I discovered that many of the prices appeared to be inflated, sometimes to an extreme degree. For example, in Sydney, Australia, you can book the best Climb of Sydney Harbor Bridge available for $238/person. HAL charges $349 for this same excursion – they added $111 apparently to cover the short ride from the pier to the bridge (and a walk to a local pub “for a glass of beer.”) Their overland trips to see The Taj Mahal cost $3,999 to $4,399 per person. I booked my own 3 day, 2 night trip - including a 5-star hotel, flights and English-speaking guide the entire time - for $834 per person!
                                           * * *
          On its web site, HAL states that “[i]ntegrity, honesty and ethics guide Holland America Line on all levels, . . . We not only do things right, we do the right things.” Because I question the "rightness" of these financial policies, I give HAL a grade of only C (average) for business ethics.  For me, a top-grade business would ask not just whether it "can", but also whether it "should". 

• Web Site
          HAL has an extremely “user friendly” web site, which makes it easy to do online check-in, obtain detailed information about the cruise, and book (and cancel) shore excursions, spa treatments, etc. They even provide a custom itinerary, showing the particular services, excursions and dinners at Pinnacle Grill that we have booked.
          For their web site, I give HAL an A+

• Free-bees
          With our verandah suite, we get not only (i) one complimentary shore excursion (unfortunately, from a very short list of 8 options out of the 37 ports), but also (ii) unlimited luggage delivery, (iii) $750/person in shipboard credit, (iv) prepaid tips (worth $1,200), (v) initial in-suite liquor set-up (4 bottles of Bacardi), and (vi) a welcome bottle of champagne.
          On the other hand, we have to pay extra not only for soda and water (mentioned above), but also laundry and dry cleaning, access to the internet and who knows what else ...
          Yet, for these amenities, I give HAL an A-, because they are a classy touch!

4 MONTHS TO GO . . . EGYPT AND ITALY AWAIT!

          It's Labor Day, 9/5/11 -- four (4) months until we board our airplane for Ft. Lauderdale to begin our (4-month) tour of a lifetime . . .
          Meanwhile, I have plotted two additional "side" courses for our journey, in Egypt and Italy.

MT. SINAI/ST. CATHERINE'S - SINAI PENINSULA

          EGYPT:  As we divert to see the Taj Mahal in India, I found a way to see the incredible sights in Egypt that the ship will simply pass by:  the Pyramids and Mount Sinai.  The ship stops in Safaga, Egypt to see Luxor.  Yet, it only stops at Sharm el-Sheikh ("Sharm"), Egypt for 6 hours - and passes by Cairo (site of the Pyramids) altogether.  Sharm is located at the south tip of the Sinai Peninsula.  Sinai Peninsula - why does that sound familiar?  Ah yes, Mount Sinai is only about a 2.5- to 3-hour drive away.  Amazingly, there is something on which the Christian, Jewish and Islamic religions agree:  Mount Sinai is where Moses received the Ten Commandments.  It just didn't seem "right" to get this close to such an historic place without seeing it, or the wonders of Cairo.
          So I booked hotels and flights from Sharm to Cairo, and Cairo to our next port (Athens).  I found a tour company, recommended by a seasoned "world traveler", and booked our expedition:         

MOUNT SINAI

          In Sharm (4/6/12), we visit Mount Sinai (they call it "Moses Mount") and St. Catherine's Monastery -- the oldest working Christian monastery in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It contains a church reputed to lie directly on the site of the Burning Bush.  Then, we visit Dahab (the "Flower Power City") on the Red Sea.  At night, we "live two hours as the Bedouins do", riding a camel through the desert at sunset.  We'll have a real Bedouin dinner by candlelight in the middle of the Desert.

THE GREAT PYRAMID AND SPHINIX

In Cairo (4/7/12), we tour the Pyramids of Cheops (Giza), Chephren and Mykerinus; then, we proceed to the Great Sphinx, the Valley Temple, and the Egyptian Museum.  At night, we take a 5-star dinner cruise, including a belly dancer and Tanura Show!  Whew-hoo!  The next day (4/8/12), we fly to Athens, where we arrive a day ahead of the ship.  We'll spend that day at leisure, dining at our hotel, with its stunning view of the Acropolis!
          The cost of this diversion:  $655.60 for flights (Sharm to Cairo, Cairo to Athens; includes flight protection); $449.66 for 5-star hotels in Sharm, Cairo & Athens; and $720 (+ tips) for all tours and transfers, entrance fees, English speaking guide and food/drink -- $913 (+tips) each (I'm sure Holland America would charge thousands, if they were offering it at all - which they aren't)


FARAGLIONI ROCK FORMATIONS, CAPRI

          ITALY:  The only real international travel I have done previously - aside from border trips - was a 2-week tour of Italy.  My favorite spot was the Isle of Capri, and we happen to stop in Naples, near Capri.  The ship has a tour to Capri, which only includes a boat ride over and lunch (it's otherwise "unstructured" and omits the best sites and activities).  For $225 Euro, I found a day tour package, which includes a private boat tour in the morning and land tour in the afternoon.  During the boat tour, we circumnavigate the entire island and visit the most spectacular grottos, such as the Blue Grotto, Green Grotto, White Grotto and around the Faraglioni Rock formations.  There is time for swimming, too.  In the afternoon, we take the funicular from the marina to Capri and then go on a walking tour (3 options for which one), followed by a chair lift ride up to Monte Solaro, the highest point on the island.  Now, that's a "day tour"!





THE BLUE GROTTO, CAPRI



ANACAPRI CHAIRLIFT, ISLE OF CAPRI