The areas highlighted in pale yellow are where the ship stopped. Itinerary follows.
Africa – a 72 day cruise around the entire continent. October 10-December 20, 2022
2018-May 24 to June 3 Bike Trip Netherlands with VBT on Sailing Ship
“Around the Ijsselmeer”: Bike and Sail North Holland. This is a bicycle tour of Holland on a 3 masted , Leafde fan Fryslan. We sailed around the Ijsselmeer which is a freshwater lake of 425 sq. miles. It was formed by the building of a man made dike closing off the North Sea.
I did this trip with my daughter-in-law, Annette Vannice. We shared a very small cabin on the schooner. Some of the highlights are featured in the following photos. We booked this through Vermont Bicycle Tours and it was fantastic.
We started the trip with a stay in Amsterdam for a few days. Annette and I toured The Hague and the quaint neighborhoods with the canals, house boats, and lots of bicycles. There are more bikes than cars and it was an adventure to make sure we stayed out of the bike lanes.
2018.09.15 to 10.16 – British Isles, Iceland, North Eastern Canada and finally Miami. September 15-October 16, 2018
September 15th, Saturday. We are on the SEATAC shuttle from Bellingham. First leg of the big trip. Well be in London on Sunday afternoon the 16th. Boarding the ship Monday.
Day 1 – Sept 15th Flight from Seattle to Cologne, Germany to London Heathrow
Originally we were going to stay in London 4 nights before the cruise started. I had surgery on the 11th so we changed the plan. I scrambled to get air changed. Eurowings was the only choice at $1,900 for 2pp, one way. We left home the 15th , Saturday at 11am and took shuttle to SEATAC. Flight departed on time for Cologne, Germany at 5pm. 9 hours later we landed in Cologne. 3 hours later we’re in London Heathrow Airport. We arrived the 16th at 2pm. Total travel time 16 hours.
Our large suitcase checked bag did not make it. We filed a claim and hailed a cab at the airport and for $86 he delivered us to the wrong hotel. We walked 6 blocks with our luggage to the correct hotel. (Good thing we did not have the big bag.) The room was up one flight of stairs (no elevator). This was Best Western Seraphine Olympia 225 High Street. The room was $706 for 4 nights, non refundable. We had to cancel the first 3 nights due to change of plans.
We settled into our room and then walked around the neighborhood for a dinner spot. Ate at Five Guys Burger place. Yum!
Since we arrived on a Sunday stores were closed but I needed to get some essential clothing since ALL my stuff is in the lost bag. Due to the surgery I could not pull or carry a bag. Bob’s stuff was in the carryon and I had nothing. So Monday morning I walked to H & M when they opened at 9am. Got a few things to tide me over and rushed back to the hotel for our shuttle at 9:45 am.
While we were on the shuttle Monday morning I got a call from the airline that my luggage was just delayed and at Heathrow to be picked up by me. The shuttle service would not let us divert so we got off and hired a private taxi to do this and get us to Southampton. Our taxi driver kindly took us inside the airport and our attempt to retrieve luggage failed because we did not have a boarding pass to get to the counter. Numerous other passengers were in the same situation. So we left without the bag. When I checked into the ship I told them and they said the Port Agent would get it delivered. We didn’t see the bag for 4 more days as it was flown to Cork, Ireland – our 3rd port.
Cost of change of plans and lost luggage about $2,500. Insurance did cover this and I received nearly all that back after I filed a claim when we returned.
Travel is such an adventure.
Sept 19th – Portland, England
Sept 20th – Cove, Ireland – I got off and toured the Titanic and Emmigration Museum. Fascinating stories. It was cold and rainy. This port town was the last stop for the Titanic before it started across the Atlantic bound for America. When I got back to the cabin the missing suitcase was waiting outside the door! Yea!
Sept 21st – Dublin, Ireland – We just rode the local transit around as this is a big city. It seems to have a few bars and drinking establishments that were popular with others but we skipped those and just walked around a nice quiet park.
Sept 22nd – Belfast, Northern Ireland – The government of Northern Ireland is in a period of suspension since January 2017. We took a tour of Belfast and the parliament building was very quiet of course.
Sept 23rd – At Sea
Sept 24th – Kirkwall and Orkney, Scotland Lots of wide open space and castles and The Ring of Brough. We liked this area!
Sept 25th – Invegordon (Inverness) Scotland
Sept 26th – Edinburgh, Scotland – CANCELLED due to rough seas. This is a tender port and the captain announced that there was no safe anchorage. We enjoyed a nice quiet day at sea instead. Many passengers were very upset to miss Edinburgh of course and evidently had booked this cruise mostly for that port.
Sept 27th – Newcastle upon Tyne – We took the train from the port to the city and walked to the River to see the Millennium Bridge. We got there at noon just as they were “lifting” it from the river for boats to go through. It is not a draw bridge but curved so it rises in the middle for boats to pass. Then we had lunch at Pitcher and Piano on the river. Really good and nice day out. Easy to take train back too. It was only 8 pounds each for all day.
Sept 28th – at sea
Sept 29th – Southampton again. We had to pack our belongs and leave them in the room. We knew our new cabin # but could not go there until about 2pm when the crew had prepared the room. Nice quiet day doing nothing.
Sept 30th – at sea
October 1st – Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Great Britain. We got off the ship and walked over to Jimmy Perez’s house. He’s the main character of the detective series “Shetland”. The town relies on tourism and the series helps a lot. We also went to the museum.
October 2nd – at sea
October 3rd and 4th – Day one in Reykjavik, Iceland. We did the Golden Circle Tour and saw Gullfoss Falls, the rift in the earth where the North American and European plates meet, and Geyser area. 8 ½ hour tour by bus. The 2nd day we stayed on the ship because it was very wet and cold. It snowed over the pass on our way back on the tour.
October 5th and 6th at Sea crossing the Atlantic.
October 7th – St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada
October 8th – at sea
October 9th – Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
October 10th – Portland, Maine – 83 HOT degrees!!! My friend Julie lives here and picked us up from the ship. We went to lunch across the harbor and had a lobster roll. Yum! She also gave us a tour of the area. This is our first U.S. port and by far the warmest.
October 11th – At sea
October 12th – At Sea
October 13th – NYC
October 14th and 15th – at sea
October 15th – Miami – off ship. HOHO bus around Miami and then to Airport hotel for the night.
October 16th – fly home Delta
Ushuaia, Argentina Day 8 of Cruise
March 29, 2017 We are only here from 2pm until 6pm but the daylight is long and we enjoy the tour we have chosen which takes us to Tierra del Fuego, national park of Argentina. Ushuaia is known for the end of the Pan-American Highway which runs from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to the tip of South America. We had our photo taken at the southern end in Ushuaia.
Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago at South America’s southernmost tip, shared by Chile and Argentina. It’s known for its dramatic landscape of snowy mountains, glaciers, tundra and wind-sculpted trees. Its main island, Isla Grande, is home to the Argentine resort town of Ushuaia. Sometimes called “the End of the World,” Ushuaia is a gateway to the region and Antarctica to the south.
Punta Arenas, Chile – Day 7
3/28/2017 Our next stop is almost to the tip of South America in Punta Arenas Chile. See map for location. This is a cute little town and we made straight for the closest cafe with free Wi-fi. Wonderful hot chocolate and pastries! It was a bit chilly at 54 degrees so I climbed the hill for views of the harbor and town below.
2017.03.21 Port Stanley Falkland Islands, Day 5
3/26/17 The Falkland Islands are 1,050 miles south of our last port of Montevideo, Uruguay. After 2 days at sea we are ready to get off the ship and see PENGUINS!
North Pond Penguin Colony is one of the areas to see Gentoo and Magellan penguins in their natural environment. It is a 2 hour, 60 mile drive across the island and we are in a Land Cruiser with Gus, the owner of the tour company. There are 16 vehicles, all 4WD for driving across the peat bogs. We are spread out so there is no crowd at the penguin colony. Half way along we stop at an old sheep farm for lunch. I’m lucky to sit in the front seat with Gus and enjoyed our conversation about the lifestyle of this area. The Falkland Islands are a British Colony off the southern coast of Argentina. In 1982 Argentina tried to take it back-you may remember The War of the Falklands. A 10 week war was interesting to hear about from Gus, our driver, as he was in high school when this happened. Scary times for sure. Since the colony had no defenses, Britain sent the ships immediately and bombed the heck out of the Argentine ships and shot down their airplanes. The wrecks still exist on the ground and in the sea. The Argentines also left thousands of land mines behind so many open lands and beautiful beaches are closed for safety. Eventually they will clear this out but it is not a high priority.
Article from Wikipedia: “The British government regarded the action as an invasion of a territory that had been a Crown colony since 1841. Falkland Islanders, who have inhabited the islands since the early 19th century, are predominantly descendants of British settlers, and favour British sovereignty. Neither state officially declared war, although both governments declared the Islands a war zone and officially recognised that a state of war existed between them and hostilities were almost exclusively limited to the territories under dispute and the area of the South Atlantic where they lie.”
My own research says the islands main industry is fishing, seconded by wool. At only 3,000 residents, we found it charming and quaint. There is no high school and the children are shipped off to England boarding school for high school education. All of this is paid for by Britain, including the seasonal vacations. The people are friendly and proud of their homeland.
Nesting
Molting
Sheep at lunch stop
Gus – our Guide
Crossing Creeks and Bogs
After our tour we had a couple hours to enjoy Port Stanley, where 90% of the population lives. The area is quaint and tidy with just one market. There are a few pubs but most were closed for Sunday. We did find a chocolate shop though and the clerk asked who we toured with – knowing that we most likely went out to see the penguins. We told her it was Gus and he is her cousin. I assume everyone is a cousin to some extent. Such warm and friendly people.
Now to the tip of South America. First Full Sea Day – Day 3 of cruise March 2017
We are finally at sea. The Zaandam departed Montevideo, Uruguay on March 23rd at 6pm. The weather is 77 degrees, calm winds. This photo shows our favorite part of the ship. This is called the Promenade Deck because you can walk all the way around the ship on this deck. Outside! Four times around is one mile. Our cabin is just to the right of where I am standing taking the picture of the sunset. We have a window and could see this beautiful sunset. Those chairs have soft cushions where we lounge most days after lunch on sea days. Ahhhh. Our favorite part of cruising – after I have rounded this deck about 12 times anyway.
Montevideo, Uruguay – Day 2 of cruise
3.23.2017 The Zaandam departs Buenos Aires at 6pm on the 22nd and we travel north 141 miles across the wide river to Montevideo, Uruguay. We arrive 5:30 am on the 23rd. This lovely city is so different from Buenos Aires. The government is stable and the people are hardworking and love their country. Montevideo has consistently been rated as having the highest quality of life of any city in Latin America.
I chose a tour offered by a local company just outside the port. They had wi-fi on the bus and for $20 the 3 hour tour was perfect. We went shopping at a local craft market where I bought a scarf. He said his wife made it. Possible!
Tigre Delta suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires Final day
3/22/2017 We are on the ship overnight in Buenos Aires and had one more place we wanted to see so we signed up for a ship’s tour of Tigre Delta. It is a unique suburb built around the swampy land and meandering waterways that empty from the Rio Parana into the Rio de la Plata. There are water logged shacks next door to high end homes. Everything is delivered by boat and everything goes out by boat.
We have a stop between the harbor in Buenos Aires and Tigre Delta. The dominate message here was graffiti. It is everywhere and I think they just leave it instead of painting over because it will come back. This is in San Isidro, Buenos Aires’ most affluent community according to Trip Advisor. They do have a lovely chapel and nice chocolate shops. No graffiti on the chapel – hmmm.
San Isidro Chapel
Chapel
Artwork?
Or just Graffiti?
Buenos Aires final and start of Cruise
3/21/17 If you have been following along, this whole trip started because we did not want to fly back from Costa Rica. Now, nearly 3 weeks after Costa Rica we are boarding the ship TODAY, March 21st. 36 days from now we will be in Vancouver Canada boarding the Amtrak home! Obviously it has been amazing so far and will just get better as we go south to the tip of South America, swing around Cape Horn and head north.
- Tue & Wed Mar 21 & 22 Buenos Aires, Argentina depart 6:00pm
- Thu Mar 23 Montevideo, Uruguay 8:00am 6:00pm
- Fri Mar 24 At Sea
- Sat Mar 25 At Sea
- Sun Mar 26 Port Stanley, Falkland Islands 8:00am 6:00pm
- Mon Mar 27 Strait of Magellan (Cruising)
- Tue Mar 28 Punta Arenas, Chile /Cockburn/Beagle/Channel / Glacier Alley (Cruising) 6:00am 6:00pm
- Wed Mar 29 Ushuaia, Argentina 2:00pm 8:00pm
- Thu Mar 30 Cape Horn (Cruising)
- Fri Mar 31 Sarmiento Canal (Cruising)
- Sat Apr 1 Chilean Fjords (Cruising)
- Sun Apr 2 Puerto Montt, Chile 8:00am 5:00pm
- Mon Apr 3 At Sea
- Tue Apr 4 Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile 6:00am 4:00pm
- Wed Apr 5 La Serena, Chile 7:00am 4:00pm
- Thu Apr 6 At Sea
- Fri Apr 7 At Sea
- Sat Apr 8 General San Martin, Peru 8:00am 5:00pm
- Sun Apr 9 Lima (Callao), Peru 8:00am
- Mon Apr 10 Lima (Callao), Peru 5:00pm
- Tue Apr 11 Salaverry (Trujillo), Peru 10:00am 6:00pm
- Wed Apr 12 At Sea
- Thu Apr 13 Manta, Ecuador 5:00am 5:00pm
- Fri Apr 14 At Sea
- Sat Apr 15 Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica 9:00am 6:00pm
- Sun Apr 16 At Sea
- Mon Apr 17 Puerto Chiapas, Mexico 7:00am 4:00pm
- Tue Apr 18 At Sea
- Wed Apr 19 At Sea
- Thu Apr 20 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 7:00am 2:00pm
- Fri Apr 21 At Sea
- Sat Apr 22 San Diego, CA 8:00am 4:00pm
- Sun Apr 23 At Sea
- Mon Apr 24 At Sea
- Tue Apr 25 Victoria, BC, Canada 4:00pm 11:59pm
- Wed Apr 26 Vancouver, BC, Canada 7:00am
NEVER STOP MOVING 