Chapter 1
Leaving is always bitter sweet for me. I will miss my family and my friends in a way I’ve never experience prior to taking the world cruises. I will miss my home, my pillows my kitchen. These feelings persist for a couple of days and will return periodically. I am also excited to experience our great planet, see new ports and meet new people. Day by day the adventure unfolds. I’m happy to know many returning friends will be onboard the MS Amsterdam. I look forward to the crossings and the tranquility of mind it brings me. Bon Voyage!
Sailing the seven seas is really an ancient maritime idiom referencing what we now call oceans. Ancient mariners called the seven seas the following
Arctic Ocean
North Atlantic Ocean
South Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
North Pacific Ocean
South Pacific Ocean
Southern or Antarctic Ocean
The reference to seven seas appears as early as 23rd century BC by the Mesopotamians. The Mesopotamians were the first to keep records of astronomy and the movements of the heavens which helped in navigation. There is nothing as breathtaking as the sky when we are out at sea on a major crossing. We are akin to our ancient mariners at that time.
Leon and I have sailed the seven seas and landed on the seven continents. However, there are always more maritime milestones yet to be accomplished. The 2018 Holland America World Cruise will give us the chance to complete a couple more.
Proposed Itinerary (can change due to world events)
We start our journey by driving to San Diego and joining the Amsterdam for the transit of the Panama Canal. Once we arrive in Fort Lauderdale, our shipmates will join the ship and off we go on our shared adventure.
Pre-World Cruise Itinerary. Golf in Puerto Vallarta and ft. Lauderdale. Textile shopping in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
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Upcoming Maritime Events
Possible new maritime feats will we may accomplish if weather, world events and oceans permit:
Rounding the Cape of Good Hope
The first modern rounding of the Cape of Good Hope (1488) was done by the Portuguese mariner, Bartolomeu Dias, in the search for a route to Far East. The Portuguese were tireless in their efforts to find quicker, faster routes to trading partners in the East. The original name for Cape of Good Hope was “Cape of Storms” translated in Portuguese as Cabo das Tormentas. Our rounding of the Cape will complete our goal of rounding both Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope. Our hope is not to have flat seas, we did several rounding of Cape Horn and once it was so flat it was disappointing! Interestingly, Cape of Good Hope is not the lower tip of Africa. As with the Cape Horn not being the tip of South America; both Capes are rock masses off the coast and not really due south of the continents.
Crossing the Indian Ocean
This will be our first trans-Indian Ocean crossing. We have crossed the Atlantic and Pacific several times. We have sailed the Indian Ocean with Suez Canal transfers to the Med— never the rounding of the Cape. We are excited to add this navigational milestone to our travels.
New (to us) ports of call
We will visit several ports on the west coast of Africa and Cape Verde Islands. These ports are always a possibility and not certain as weather and politics play a large part in a port of call. We are scheduled for several islands in the Indian Ocean and that to can be fluid. Puerto Princesca and Manila will be a first for us. I will love seeing the crew’s families come onboard. We will give the little ones some candy and school supplies. It is delightful to see how happy this stop and the overnight in Bali makes our crew! Last year, a crew member saw his newborn son for the first time. His family was brought onboard and it was quite a celebration.
Planned Activities
Climbing the Auckland Bridge, white water rafting in Costa Rica, new golf courses in several ports, private gourmet dining in Cape Town, 4x4 private tour in Papeete, cooking class in Saigon and Hong Kong (dim sum) and so much more!
Golf planned for Grand Cayman, Moorea, Australia, New Zealand, Bali, Manila, Singapore, Reunion, Sri Lanka, Cape Town and maybe San Juan.
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