Week 7

We have been at sea a lot lately – we missed the port of Stanley, Falkland Islands because the sea was rough and Stanley is a “tender” port so it was not safe enough to go ashore. Tendering is done in ports that don’t have a pier for us to dock at. We drop anchor in the harbor and get our lifeboats down from the side of the ship (sometimes there are larger, shore-side tenders offered) and people take those ashore.

So of the last 19 days, 3 have been port days, the rest sea days. Sea days are long days of work for me. I’m usually at my desk by 8:30am and often times, barely get lunch, then am back to work until 6 with no other breaks. If it is a formal night on the ship, I then get ready in formal wear to host a dinner table. I am seated with different guests each formal evening which gives me the opportunity to meet more people. Here on the World Voyage, I have gotten to know many of the people so oftentimes someone invites me to join their table. Of course they have figured out that if I’m at the table, I provide the wine! (Actually it’s Holland America Line paying the tab.) If it’s not an evening that I host and if I had a really busy day (which I do for about half the sea days), then I usually go back to work around 8pm and work until the work is done with is anywhere from 9:30 to 11 or 12 – it just depends on how many cruises I sold.

One thing that happens when you live out here – or even when someone is on a cruise – is you forget what day it is so in all of our elevators, the rug is changed each day so we might not know the date but we know the day of the week.


Tuesday night was Fat Tuesday so Mardi Gras was celebrated throughout the ship. It was amazing to see the decorations transform every room. These photos are of our dining room entrance with and without decorations.

Friends at Mardi Gras celebration:


This is my desk area here on the Amsterdam. Right next to me is Barbara, our Travel Guide. She is an expert on the ports that we visit. Her function is to give advice on what to do in each port if you want to see it on your own (not take a shore excursion). She’s a Jersey girl and loves to talk!



Also right in our area is Holland America Line’s version of Starbuck’s – The Exploration’s Café. Surrounding that is our library and internet area. And on the other side is our Explorer’s Lounge in which there are various small events or presentations. Today there is an art auction, yesterday there was a lecture about acupuncture, every morning our guest entertainers are interviewed about their careers and lifestyles as entertainers. If I’m not busy (which is rare) I listen in to whatever is going on.