Suzi and I celebrated our 50th anniversary (a little early, our anniversary is in June) by taking a World Cruise. The MS Amsterdam is took us to Central America, the South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, South East Asia, Indian Ocean isles, Southern Africa, Western Africa and the Caribbean. I took pictures and wrote down my thoughts. Instead of a journal or letters I blogged. When the cruise started we felt like we were crashing a private party, so many people were repeat world cruisers. By the time it was over we were part of the party. You can read my blog posts below. The earliest one first. If you want to skip to the Coda click here.
Will This be the Ship… That Carries Us Into the Storm?
A Sandman Shivering on Ft. Lauderdale Beach.
Building Civil Society on a Cruise Ship
No Taxes Forever, on Order of the King (The Cayman Islands.)
Ethnically Rich, Biologically Diverse, Economically Poor. Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
Brutalist or Welcoming, The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Puerto Limon Costa Rica
Banana Train, Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
The Second Time Around, The Panama Canal
Day at Sea (X8) or Sailing Through the Doldrums.
Looking for Bali Hi — in the Marquesas
Ukulele Playing Saint — In Nuka Hiva
Rangiroa — Shooting the Tiputa Pass.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise – Moorea.
The Footsteps of Michener — Bora Bora
“Half the fun is getting there.” — Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Extreme Sports into the Sunset
Happy People — Mount Maunganui
It Fell Like A House of Cards — St. John’s Cathedral, Napier NZ.
Cars older than Cuba’s – Napier, New Zealand.Cars older than Cuba’s – Napier, New Zealand.
Art Deco Town – Napier, New Zealand.
Albatross, Penguins and Timber, Otago Bay, South Island.
A Railway Station and its city – Dunedin
Fjordlands National Park — Dusky Soound
Doubtful Sound but Familiar Names.
Evaporating Waterfalls — Milford Sound
Community Knitting Project — Sydney
Why Cruise Ship Life is a Lot Like Living in Southeast Alaska
A Town Reflecting on Slaughter
Albany and Torndirrup National Park,
You Owe Five Farthings (Say the Bells of …)
Yellow Stripes and a Cappuccino Strip.
But Tourists Never Go There — Pura Luhur Batukau
Palawan Puts on a Big Welcome.
Sharon Stone and the Virgin Mary – The Puerto Princesa Underground River.
Three More Days, Two More Days, One more Day TODAY!!
Rescued by a Buggy Whip — Intramuros Manila.
Douglas MacArthur Had Dessert Here – The Manila Hotel
Dim Sum at the Top. The Peak Tram
“Chewing the Fat,” a Persecuted Sect and an Unexpected Fire Drill
The Courts of Hell with a Trigger Warning.
How Do You Pronounce “Phuket?”
Elephant Wash — Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Beau Vallon Beachm Mahe, Seyschelles
Sharks Can Hurt the Economy. — Reunion
French Bureaucrats Can’t Ruin a Sunset.
Maputo’s Classic Railway Station
Namesake Cape? Almost — Cape Maclear, South Africa
Cape of Big Storms — Cape of Good Hope
Victoria and Alfred — Cape Town Waterfront
Our Big Splurge in Namibia – WOW!
An Enclave no more – Walvis Bay
Sunset Rainbow – Sailing Out of Luanda.
The Last Gasp of Socialist Realism. — Luanda
Do We Really Need an Ambulance — Luanda
Amsterdam Art 101, (Musings on a Sea Day)
Corruption and Color– The Gambia.
Busman’s Holiday — Development Projects in The Gambia.
In Dakar the Hardware Store Comes to You
Kriol Jazz Festival– Cape Verde
One Nation’s Hero — Another Nation’s Thug
Crowd Sourcing Help Please — San Juan.
Coda – Around the World at 19 Miles an Hour…
By the numbers:
- We sailed 34,128 Nautical Miles, 39,274 statute miles or 63,205 KM
- The Cruise lasted 113 days
- We visited 39 ports in 26 countries or territories
- We missed one port due to weather and substituted one port because of the bubonic plague.
- We used 18 currencies (20 if you count the Panamanian Balboa which is the same as a dollar and the Namibian dollar, which is the same as the South African rand.)
- I took 16,916 pictures and posted 3,504 on either my blog or Facebook (not counting this post.)
- We broke three cameras.
- This cruise blog has 143 posts including this one. I didn’t count words.
- I lost about 5 pounds.
I’ve subscribed to your blog as I love your writing style and also to get a first timers perspective of the WC. Have cruised for years with HAL, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to be relatively “new” to long cruises. You are in great hands with Capt. Jonathan! He’s taken great care of us in the past what with dealing with weather, etc.! Enjoy; I know you will!
It is so exciting to be a first timer. We are having a great time, Thanks.
Hi, Rich! I’m going to be joining you all in Hong Kong and have been following you along with The Inside Cabin to keep up with daily ship life. Since I’m not one of those with “status”, I’m going to have to use the laundry room a few times. If you have time on a sea day, could you pop up or down to Deck 3 or Deck 6 and check out the cost of the washers/dryers for me? If they’re actual coin operated machines, do I have to load up on quarters? I’d really appreciate it! Thanks, Patti
Hi Patti, Both washers and dryers take US quarters but I am not sure how many. When I go up to the front desk later I can ask if they make change. But otherwise I guess I would stock up. See you in a week or so.
Take Care,
Rich