Thursday, July 12, 2018

The upcoming Holland America Line adventure....

 Just a bit of an update….
The time is flying by as my next Mega Voyage approaches!  Before we get to that, the Sisters and I will be going to Churchill, Manitoba the last few days of October for the Polar Bear migration….  Very exciting!  I’ve wanted to do this for a while now.  When we get back home, I have less than two weeks before I leave.  Now, as far as the voyage is concerned, as I had said in my original blog, we were hoping to take an overland trip to Eastern Europe, well we are no longer hoping…. it’s booked!!!!  We have booked 19 days in Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia…  We are excited to begin our journey starting when we sail into Kiel Germany, fly from Hamburg to Bucharest Romania, where we will be met by our private driver and car …let the adventure begin as we head out on our 19-day tour by road…. 10 countries and staying in the following cities and of course photo stops along the way…..it should be quite the adventure……
Sun Jun 9        Arrive Kiel Germany/transfer to Hamburg
Sun Jun 9        Fly from Hamburg to Bucharest Romania
Wed Jun 12    Sofia - Bulgaria
Thu Jun 13      Belgrade - Serbia
Sat Jun 15       Ljubljana- Slovenia
Mon Jun 17    Budapest - Hungary
Wed Jun 19    Prague - Czech Republic
Fri Jun 21        Krakow - Poland
Sat Jun 22       Warsaw -Poland
Sun Jun 23      Vilnius - Lithuania/Vilnius Hot Air Balloon Flight
Tue Jun 25      Riga - Latvia
Wed Jun 26    Tallinn – Estonia

The next adventure is something different for me…  I’m not taking the 2019 World Voyage, just couldn’t get excited about the itinerary after 12 consecutive World Voyages.  For many years people have asked me “Where in the world haven’t you been that you would like to visit?”  My response was always the same “The Baltic”.  With that thought in mind, I set out to find a way to visit the Baltic without having to fly back and forth to Europe.  I came up with a 7+ month voyage on the ms Rotterdam which had a Baltic Voyage in their deployment schedule and returned me to the USA on 30 July 2019.  Things changed when Holland America Line announced the sail of their ship Prinsendam which disrupted the schedule of the Rotterdam making it no longer a viable voyage.  Thanks to the help of the fabulous staff at Holland America Line, led by my Concierge Katerina Kovalova, I was rebooked on the Zuiderdam for 258 days commencing 14 November 2018 and returning me home 30 July 2019.  The itinerary is fantastic, I will winter on the ship just sailing back and forth to the Panama Canal, sipping diet cokes and reading my Kindle before heading to Europe in April.  The European itineraries are fabulous!  The ship goes to the Baltic 3 times…  We are hoping to also take and overland trip to Eastern Europe at some point.  I am so excited about this upcoming adventure!!!!
 
21 Night Panama Canal
ms Zuiderdam
 
Thu Nov 15 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00 am 03:00 pm
Fri Nov 16 Sea Day
Sat Nov 17 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 11:00 pm
Sun Nov 18 Willemstad (Curacao) Netherlands Antilles 8:00 am 11:00 pm
Mon Nov 19 Sea Day
Tue Nov 20 Cartagena, Columbia 7:00 am 1:00 pm
Wed Nov 21 Cruising the Panama Canal, Columbia 5:00 am 1:00 pm
Wed Nov 21 Colon, Columbia 03:00 pm 8:00 pm
Thu Nov 22 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 06:30 am 4:00 pm
Fri Nov 23 Sea Day
Sat Nov 24 Sea Day
Sun Nov 25 Fort Lauderdale 7:00 am departs

Mon Nov 26 Half Moon Cay 8:00 03:00 pm
Tue Nov 27 Sea Day
Wed Nov 28 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 11:00 pm
Thu Nov 29 Willemstad (Curacao) Netherlands Antilles 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Fri Nov 30 Sea Day
Sat Dec 1 Cruising the Panama Canal 5:00 am 1:00 pm
Sat Dec 1 Colon, Panama 03:00 pm 8:00 pm
Sun Dec 2 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 06:30 am 4:00 pm
Mon Dec 3 Sea Day
Tue Dec 4 Sea Day
Wed Dec 5 Fort Lauderdale 0:700 am 5:00 pm
 
11 Night Panama Canal
ms Zuiderdam
 
Thu Dec 6 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00 am 03:00 pm
Fri Dec 7 Sea Day
Sat Dec 8 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 11:00 pm
Sun Dec 9 Willemstad (Curacao) Netherlands Antilles 8:00 am 11:00 pm
Mon Dec 10 Sea Day
Tue Dec 11 Cartagena, Columbia 7:00 am 1:00 pm
Wed Dec 12 Cruising the Panama Canal, Columbia 5:00 am 1:00 pm
Wed Dec 12 Colon, Columbia 03:00 pm 8:00 pm

Thu Dec 13 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 06:30 am 4:00 pm
Fri Dec 14 Sea Day
Sat Dec 15 Sea Day
Sun Dec 16 Fort Lauderdale 7:00 am departs
21 Night Southern Caribbean and Holiday Cruise
ms Zuiderdam
 
Sun Dec 16 Fort Lauderdale 4:00 pm departs
Mon Dec 17 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00 am 03:00 pm
Tue Dec 18 Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands 011:00 am 6:00 pm
Wed Dec 19 Amber Cove, Dominican Republic 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Thu Dec 20 Sea Day
Fri Dec 21 Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Sat Dec 22 Willemstad (Curacao) Netherland Antilles 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Sun Dec 23 Oranjestad, Aruba 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Mon Dec 24 Sea Day
Tue Dec 25 Sea Day
Wed Dec 26 Fort Lauderdale 7:00 am 4:00 pm
Thu Dec 27 Sea Day
Fri Dec 28 Sea Day
Sat Dec 29 Philipsburg (St. Maarten) Netherlands Antilles 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Sun Dec 30 Castries, St. Lucia 8:00 am 4:00 pm – Cruising Soufriere Bay, St. Lucia
Mon Dec 31 Bridgetown, Barbados 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Tue Jan 1, 2019 Fort de France, Martinique 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Wed Jan 2 Basseterre, St Kitts & Nevis 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Thu Jan 3 Charlotte Amalie (St Thomas), US Virgin Islands 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Fri Jan 4 Sea Day
Sat Jan 5 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00 am 03:00 pm
Sun Jan 6 Fort Lauderdale, 7:00 am 5:00 pm
 
 
31 Night Panama Canal Sunfarer
ms Zuiderdam
 
Mon Jan 7 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00 am 03:00 pm
Tue Jan 8 Sea Day
Wed Jan 9 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 011:00 pm
Thu Jan 10 Willemstad (Curacao) Netherlands Antilles 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Fri Jan 11 Sea Day
Sat Jan 12 Cruising the Panama Canal, Panama 5:00 am 1:00 pm
Sat Jan 12 Colon, Panama 03:00 pm 8:00 pm
Sun Jan 13 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 06:30 am 4:00 pm
Mon Jan 14 Sea Day
Tue Jan 15 Sea Day
Wed Jan 16 Fort Lauderdale, USA 7:00 am
Wed Jan 16 Fort Lauderdale depart 5:00 pm
Thu Jan 17 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00 am 03:00 pm
Fri Jan 18 Sea Day
Sat Jan 19 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 011:00 pm
Sun Jan 20 Willemstad (Curacao) Netherlands Antilles 8:00 am 11:00 pm
Mon Jan 21 Sea Day
Tue Jan 22 Cartagena, Columbia 7:00 am 1:00 pm
Wed Jan 23 Cruising the Panama Canal 5:00 pm 1:00 pm
Wed Jan 23 Colon, Panama 03:00 pm 8:00 pm
Thu Jan 24 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 06:30 am 4:00 pm
Fri Jan 25 Sea Day
Sat Jan 26 Sea Day

Mon Jan 28 Half Moon Cay 8:00 am 3:00 pm
Tue Jan 29 Sea Day
Wed Jan 30 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 11:00 pm
Thu Jan 31 Willemstad (Curacao) Netherlands Antilles 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Fri Feb 1 Sea Day
Sat Feb 2 Cruising the Panama Canal 5:00 pm 1:00 pm
Sat Feb 2 Colon, Panama 03:00 pm 8:00 pm
Sun Feb 3 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 06:30 4:00 pm
Mon Feb 4 Sea Day
Tue Feb 5 Sea Day
Wed Feb 6 Fort Lauderdale, USA 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Thu Feb 7 Half Moon Cay, Bahama 8:00 am 03:00 pm
Fri Feb 8 Sea Day
Sat Feb 9 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 11:00 pm
Sun Feb 10 Willemstad, Curacao 8:00 am 11:00 pm
Mon Feb 11 Sea Day
Wed Feb 13 Cruising the Panama Canal 5:00 pm 1:00 pm
Thu Feb 14 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 06:30 4:00 pm
Fri Feb 15 Sea Day
Sat Feb 16 Sea Day
Sun Feb 17 Fort Lauderdale, USA 7:00 am 5:00 pm

 
42 Night Panama Canal
ms Zuiderdam
 
Tue Feb 19 Sea Day
Wed Feb 20 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 11:00 pm
Thu Feb 21 Willemstad, Curacao 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Fri Feb 22 Sea Day

Sat Feb 23 Enter Panama Canal 5:00 am
Cruising Canal and Gatun Lake, Cristobal, Colon Panama 3:00 pm 8:00 pm
Sun Feb 24 Puerto Limon (San Jose) Costa Rica 6:30 am 4:00 pm
Mon Feb 25 Sea Day
Tue Feb 26 Sea Day
Wed Feb 27 Fort Lauderdale, Fla 7:00 am departs 5:00 pm
Fri Mar 1 Sea Day
Sat Mar 2 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 11:00 pm
Sun Mar 3 Willemstad, Curacao 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Mon Mar 4 Sea Day
Tue Mar 5 Cartagena, Colombia 7:00 am 1:00 pm
Wed Mar 6 Cruising the Panama Canal 5:00 pm 1:00 pm
Thu Mar 7 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 06:30 4:00 pm
Fri Mar 8 Sea Day
Sat Mar 9 Sea Day

Mon Mar 11 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00 3:00 pm
Tue Mar 12 Sea Day
Wed Mar 13 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 11:00 pm
Thu Mar 14 Willemstad, Curacao 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Fri Mar 15 Sea Day
Sat Mar 16 Cruising the Panama Canal 5:00 pm 1:00 pm
Sun Mar 16 Colon, Panama 3:00 pm 8:00 pm
Sun Mar 17 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 06:30 4:00 pm
Mon Mar 18 Sea Day
Tue Mar 19 Sea Day
Wed Mar 20 Fort Lauderdale, Fla 7:00 am 5:00 pm

Thu Mar 21 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00 3:00 pm
Fri Mar 22 Sea Day
Sat Mar 23 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 11:00 pm
Sun Mar 24 Willemstad, Curacao 8:00 am 11:00 pm
Mon Mar 25 Sea Day
Tue Mar 26 Cartagena, Colombia 7:00 am 1:00 pm
Wed Mar 27 Cruising the Panama Canal 5:00 pm 1:00 pm
Wed Mar 27 Colon, Panama 3:00 pm 8:00 pm
Thu Mar 28 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 06:30 4:00 pm
Fri Mar 29 Sea Day
Sat Mar 30 Sea Day
Sun Mar 31 Fort Lauderdale 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Mon Apr 1 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00 am 3:00 pm
Tue Apr 2 Sea Day
Wed Apr 3 Oranjestad, Aruba 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Thu Apr 4 Willemstad (Curacao) Netherlands Antilles 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Fri Apr 5 Sea Day
Sat Apr 6 Cruising the Panama Canal 5:00 am 1:00 pm
Colon, Panama 3:00 pm 8:00 pm
Sun Apr 7 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 6:30 am 4:00 pm
Mon Apr 8 Sea Day
Tue Apr 9 Sea Day
Wed Apr 10 Fort Lauderdale 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Thu Apr 11 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00 am 3:00 pm
Fri Apr 12 Sea Day
Sat Apr 13 Oranjestad, Aruba 1:00 pm 11:00 pm
Sun Apr 14 Willemstad, Curacao 8:00 am 11:00 pm
Mon Apr 15 Sea Day
Tue Apr 16 Cartagena, Columbia 7:00 am 1:00 pm
Wed Apr 17 Cruising the Panama Canal 5:00 am 1:00 pm, Colon, Panama 3-5 pm
Thu Apr 18 Puerto Limon, Costa Rica 6:30 am 4:00 pm
Fri Apr 19 Sea Day
Sat Apr 20 Sea Day
Sun Apr 21 Fort Lauderdale 7:00 am
 
26 Night Azores and Normandy and Jewels of the Baltic
ms Zuiderdam
 
Sun Apr 21 Fort Lauderdale, Fla 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Mon Apr 22 Sea Day
Tue Apr 23 Sea Day
Wed Apr 24 Kings Wharf, Bermuda 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Thu Apr 25 Sea Day
Fri Apr 26 Sea Day
Sat Apr 27 Sea Day
Sun Apr 28 Sea Day
Mon Apr 29 Ponta Delgada, Portugal 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Tue Apr 30 Sea Day
Wed May 1 Sea Day
Thu May 2 Sea Day
Fri May 3 Cherbourg, France 7:00 am 7:00 pm
Sat May 4 Zeebrugge, Belgium 010:00 am 7:00 pm
Sun May 5 Amsterdam, Netherlands 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Mon May 6 Sea Day
Tue May 7 Copenhagen, Denmark 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Wed May 8 Sea Day
Thu May 9 Tallinn, Estonia 12:00 pm 7:00 pm
Fri May 10 St. Petersburg, Russia 7:00 am
Sat May 11 St. Petersburg 6:00 pm
Sun May 12 Helsinki, Finland 7:00 am 4:00 pm
Mon May 13 Stockholm, Sweden 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Tue May 14 Sea Day
Wed May 15 Berlin (Warnemunde) 6:00 am 11:00 pm
Thu May 16 Kiel, Germany 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Fri May 17 Copenhagen, Denmark 7:00 am 5:00 pm
 
24 Night Fjords Highlands and Baltic Adventure
ms Zuiderdam
Fri May 17 Copenhagen, Denmark 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Sat May 18 Sea Day
Sun May 19 Edinburgh (South Queensferry) 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Mon May 20 Invergordon, UK 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Tue May 21 Kirkwall, Scotland 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Wed May 22 Stornaway, Scotland 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Thu May 23 Belfast, Northern Ireland 10:00 am 11:00 pm
Fri May 24 Dublin, Ireland 8:00 am 11:00 pm
Sat May 25 Sea Day
Sun May 26 Cherbourg, France 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Mon May 27 Zeebrugge 10:00 am 8:00 pm
Tue May 28 Amsterdam 10:00 am 10:00 pm
Wed May 29 Sea Day
Thu May 30 Oslo, Norway 7:00 am 02:00 pm Cruising Oslo Fjord
Fri May 31 Copenhagen, Denmark 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Sat Jun 1 Sea Day
Sun Jun 2 Tallin, Estonia 12:00 pm 7:00 pm
Mon Jun 3 St. Petersburg 7:00 am arrival
Tue Jun 4 St. Petersburg 6:00 pm depart
Wed Jun 5 Helsinki, Finland 7:00 am 4:00 pm
Thu Jun 6 Stockholm, Sweden 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Fri Jun 7 Sea Day
Sat Jun 8 Berlin (Rostock), Germany 6:00 am 11:00 pm
Sun Jun 9 Kiel, Germany 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Mon Jun 10 Copenhagen, Denmark 7:00 am 5:00 pm
 
25 Night Baltic Adventure and Stonehedge Solstice
 
Mon Jun 10 Copenhagen, 5:00 pm depart
Tue Jun 11 Sea Day
Wed Jun 12 Flam, Norway 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Wed Jun 12 Scenic cruising Sognefjord
Thu Jun 13 Alesund, Norway 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Fri Jun 14 Sea Day
Sat Jun 15 Seydisfjordur, Iceland 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Sat Jun 15 Scenic cruising Seydisfjordur
Sun Jun 16 Akureyri, Iceland 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Sun Jun 16 Scenic cruising Eyjafjordur
Mon Jun 17 Isafjordur, Iceland 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Mon Jun 17 Scenic Cruising Isafjardurdjur
Tue Jun 18 Reykjavik, Iceland 8:00 11:00 pm
Wed Jun 19 Sea Day
Thu Jun 20 Torshavn, Faroe Islands 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Fri Jun 21 Lerwick, Shetlands Islands, United K 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Sat Jun 22 Invergordon (Inverness) Scotland 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Sun Jun 23 Sea Day
Mon Jun 24 Copenhagen, Denmark 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Tue Jun 25 Arhus, Denmark 7:00 am 2:00 pm
Wed Jun 26 Sea Day
Thu Jun 27 Tallinn, Estonia 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Fri Jun 28 St. Petersburg, Russia 7:00 am
Sat Jun 29 St. Petersburg, Russia 6:00 pm
Sun Jun 30 Helsinki, Finland 7:00 am 4:00 pm
Mon Jul 1 Stockholm, Sweden 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Tue Jul 2 Sea Day
Wed Jul 3 Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany 6:00 am 11:00 pm
Thu Jul 4 Kiel (Hamburg) Germany 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Fri Jul 5 Skagen, Denmark 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Sat Jul 6 Copenhagen, Denmark 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Sun Jul 7 Scenic cruising Oslofjord
Mon Jul 8 Kristiansand, Norway 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Tue Jul 9 Stavanger, Norway 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Wed Jul 10 Scenic cruising Hardangerfjord
Thu Jul 11 Bergen, Norway 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Fri Jul 12 Sea Day 
 
 
17 Day Viking Passage
ms Zuiderdam
 
Sat Jul 13 Rotterdam, The Netherlands 7:00 am 5:00 pm
Sun Jul 14 Sea Day
Mon Jul 15 Lerwick, Shetland Islands, United K 8:00 am 4:00 pm
Tue Jul 16 Sea Day
Wed Jul 17 Reykjavik, Iceland 8:00 am
Thu Jul 18 Reykjavik, Iceland depart 2:00 pm
Fri Jul 19 Akureyri, Iceland 11:00 am 8:00 pm
Sat Jul 20 Isafjordur, Iceland 8:00 am 6:00 pm
Sun Jul 21 Sea Day
Mon Jul 22 Cruising Prince Christian Sund
Tue Jul 23 Nanortalik, Greenland 7:00 am 2:00 pm
Wed Jul 24 Sea Day
Thu Jul 25 St. John’s, Newfoundland Canada 12:00 noon 8:00 pm
Fri Jul 26 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 9:00 am 5:00 pm
Sat Jul 27 Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada 8:00 am 5:00 pm
Sun Jul 28 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 8:00 am 11:00 pm
Mon Jul 29 Sea Day
Tue Jul 30 Debark Boston, Massachusetts, US 7:00 am