Our New Home for 4 Months

The 2012 Holland America World Voyage will be on the ms Amsterdam!

Here are some facts about the ship: 

The ship only holds 1,380 passengers and 615 crew members!


It is 62,735 gross tons and 780 feet in length!


The ms Amsterdam is the third ship to bear the name of the Dutch capital and it was built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy!


At the heart of the ms Amsterdam is the Planeto Astrolabium, a commissioned signature sculpture soaring in the three-story atrium.  This stunning Astrolabe tracks constellations, the planets, world time and ship time! I am so excited to see this!

The two-tiered dining room is called La Fontaine and it offers five-course menus nightly that reflect the culture of the cities we will be visiting.  FYI there are vegetarian and low-carb options available!

There is the Lido Restaurant which offers a relaxed ambiance for all three meals and features a variety of fresh, cooked-to-order specialties.

Also there is the intimate, reservations-only Pinnacle Grill. This dining option offers an elegant, sophisticated dining experience and features premium hand-selected cuts of Sterling Silver beef, inspired seafood dishes and many select wines rated "Excellent" by Wine Spectator - as well as distinctive Bvlgari china, Riedel stemware and Frette linens for $25 per person each night you dine there!

The Culinary Arts Center, presented by Food & Wine magazine, is the setting for gourmet cooking demonstrations and interactive classes. Maybe I will come back a chef!  

Explorations Café, powered by The New York Times, features the largest library at sea, as well as comfortable music listening stations and Internet access.  This sounds relaxing!

The Greenhouse Spa & Salon features thermal suites, a hydrotherapy and thalassotherapy pool, heated ceramic lounges and more!  I will need to get a haircut here!

The Queen's Show Lounge features Las Vegas-style productions, talented vocalists, illusionists, comedians and variety acts! Sounds exciting!

The Crow's Nest, where sweeping views make this observation lounge a top choice for relaxing during the day, and in the evening transforms nightclub featuring DJs and live bands!  

The Fitness Center is fully equipped with state of the art equipment. 

There are 2 outdoor pools - one with a retractable roof, plus a whirlpool, hot tub, sauna and steam room. 

There is a Digital Workshop, powered by Windows, that has free workshops that teach camera classes, movie making, picture editing, scrapbook design and many more classes. Even though I am now I converted Mac user, I think this will be pretty interesting!

Holland America says that they ships are known for their graceful rooms with generous amounts of personal space! We will see about this!

Our Room!

The Room I Want!

Circumnavigating the Globe

7 Continents, 4 Oceans, and So Many Picture Perfect Places

1.4.12 - Arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Arrive and Relax before the trip begins! Also buy bottles of water and some supplies that we couldn't fit into our luggage! 

1.6.12 at 6pm SHARP - We depart on our cruise AROUND THE WORLD!

1.9.12 - Roseau, Dominica - Seeing Trafalgar Falls and the Emerald Pool

1.10.12 - Bridgetown, Barbados - Going to see St. John's Church and Sunbury Guest Plantation House 

1.13.12 - Belem, Brazil - Cruising on the Amazon River and Walking in the Amazon Jungle

1.16.12 - Recife, Brazil - Touring Recife and Historic Olinda

1.19.12 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Cable car to Sugar Loaf Mountain and the the Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Mountain then going to Copacabana Beach!

1.20.12 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Not sure yet!

1.23.12 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Gaucho tour and Tango show!

1.24.12 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Going to see Recoleta, Evita's graveyard, Puerto Madero, La Boca, Caminito where Tango originated, Avenida Corrientes and San Martin square

1.25.12 - Montevideo, Uruguay - Visiting the Old and Modern City of Montevideo and visiting Bouza Winery

1.28.12 - Stanley, Falkland Islands - 4x4 Tour to see over 2,000 King Penguins and newly born chicks at Volunteer Point

1.30.12 - Antarctic Sound, Antarctica - Cruising and hoping to see some Iceburgs

1.31.12 - South Shetland Islands - Sailing around the islands

2.1.12 - Wilhelm Archipelago - Cruising the waters

2.2.12 - Cape Horn - Sailing around the tip of South America 

2.3.12 - Ushuaia, Argentina - Visiting Tierra Del Fuego National Park and the Beagle Channel

2.4.12 - Punta Arenas, Chile- Going to Patagonia to see the Otway Penguin Perserve and Torres del Paine National Park 

2.10.12 - Easter Island, Chile - Can't wait to see the Mystical Moai Statues that cover the island!

2.15.12 - Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia - 4X4 Tour of Tahiti

2.18.12 - Pago Pago, Tutuila, American Samoa - Going to see Fatu-ma-Futi (Flower Pot Rocks), Leone Village, Leala Sliding Rocks and many more sights!

2.22.12 - Easo, Lifou, New Caledonia - Walking around the Island

2.25.12- Sydney, Australia - Considering climbing Sydney Harbor Bridge and attending the opera at the Sydney Opera House and seeing all the sights of Sydney!

2.26.12 - Sydney, Australia - Cruising Sydney Harbour at Darling Harbour, going to the Rocks, and spending the night in Sydney

2.27.12 - Sydney and Cairns, Australia - Spending the morning in Sydney and then flying to Cairns

2.28.12 - Cairns, Australia - Taking a train to Kuranda and then a Skyrail over the rainforest

2.29.12 - Cairns, Australia - Snorkeling The Great Barrier Reef

3.1.12 - Great Barrier Reef -  Cruising the Great Barrier Reef

3.2.12 - Great Barrier Reef -  Cruising the Great Barrier Reef

3.3.12 - Great Barrier Reef -  Cruising the Great Barrier Reef

3.5.12 - Slawi Bay, Komodo Island, Indonesia - Visiting Komodo National Park to see the Dragons

3.6.12 - Lombok, Indonesia - Visiting a Sesak Village

3.11.12 - Hong Kong, China -Touring the city to see the  great sights including the Jade market, Flower Market street and Bird Market (a lot of markets!) Then going to the top of Victoria Peak by Peak Tram funicular to have lunch. Then riding a Sampan boat to see the Stanley and more markets!

3.12.12 - Hong Kong, China - Traveling on a 4 mile cable car to visit the Monastery and the Big Buddha on Lantau

3.14.12 - Nha Trang, Vietnam - River cruise to see the Pattyfields and the Ancient City where villagers weave their mats and bind the traditional conical hats

3.15.12 - Phu My (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam - Going to see Notre Dame Cathedral, General Post Office, Thien Hau Pagoda, then go round China Town by cyclo and to  Ben Thanh market 

3.18.12 - Singapore - Tour the old town, Chinatown, and visit all the sights 

3.19.12 - Singapore - Not sure yet!

3.21.12 - Phuket, Thailand -See the all best sights of Phuket, a Thai village and the beautiful beaches

3.24.12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Touring the area and going to Galle Face Hotel for afternoon refreshments

3.26.12 - Mangalore, India - My Birthday! Take in the city for a while then fly to Delhi, drive 5 hours to Agra and stay in a fun hotel with a bowling alley

3.27.12 - Agra, India - Spend the entire day seeing the Taj Mahal and other sites

3.28.12 - Mumbai, India - See the Red Fort on the way to the airport, then fly to Mumbai and ride through the city at night - the Queen's Necklace

3.29.12 - Mumbai, India - Spend the Day in the Life of a Mumbai citizen - Start with the Gateway of India, go to Churchgate Railway Station to watch the Tiffin Box Suppliers Association deliver lunches, take a train to the Dhobi Ghat to see the laundry washing, then spend the rest of the day at the markets

4.5.12 - Safaga, Egypt - Visit Luxor, an open-air museum, see the Valley of the Kings, the Karnak Temple, the Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon

4.6.12 - Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt - Go to Mount Sinai, visit St. Catherine Monastery, Ride a camel ride through the desert and have an authentic Bendouin dinner, stay in a resort in Sharm

4.7.12 - Cairo, Egypt - Fly to Cairo and see the Pyramids of Cheops and the Great Sphinx!! Go on a dinner cruise on the Nile River with belly dancers, stay in a resort in Cairo

4.8.12 - Piraeus (Athens), Greece - Fly to Athens and spend the day walking around, stay at a hotel overlooking the Acropolis

4.9.12 - Piraeus (Athens), Greece - Go to Delphi 

4.10.12 - Piraeus (Athens), Greece - See all the wonderful sights of Athens! 

4.11.12 - Katakolon (Olympia), Greece - Visit the fishing village of Katakolon and then off to Ancient Olympia

4.12.12 - Messina, Sicily, Italy - Tour Taormina and Mt. Etna

4.13.12 - Naples (Pompeii), Italy - Go to Sorrento, Positano and the Amalfi Coast

4.14.12 - Ajaccio, Corsica, France - See the sights of Ajaccio

4.15.12 - Barcelona, Spain - See all the wonderful highlights of Barcelona

4.16.12 - Barcelona, Spain - Take a trip to Coasta Bravia and Girona

4.18.12 - Cadiz (Seville), Spain - Drive to Seville and tour the wonderful city and at night see a Flamenco show

4.20.12 - Funchal, Madeira, Portugal - Ride a cable car to the city of Monte, take a basket sleigh ride to Livramento, then visit Cabo Girao, Camara de Lobos and end the day with afternoon tea at Reid's Hotel

4.28.12 - Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Arrive home from the Cruise of a Lifetime 

Visas, Vaccines and More

Completing Tasks and Finalizing Excursions

This week I have dedicated to completing tasks necessary for our trip and double checking our itinerary and excursions!

1. Applied for Visas.
 We need Visas for:

              Brazil

              India

              Australia (ETA)

              Indonesia

              Vietnam

              Egypt

I decided to get us only India, Brazil and Egypt prior to departing.  You can receive the other Visas onboard the ship. Therefore I need to send our passports to ZVS, along with photos, a completed application - in which I have to list EVERY country I have been to in the last 10 years, our itinerary as well as an online application and then we will be allowed to enter India, Brazil, and Egypt!

2. Extra passport pages.
I just received my passport back with extra pages added, something that I didn't even consider! My mom didn't need extra pages added.

3. Get immunizations.
We need:
          Yellow Fever 
          Hepatitis A and B
          Typhoid
          Tdap - Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis
          Flu Shot
          Malarone pills for malaria and a whole bunch of DEET!
          MMR - the County Health Department told me I needed that this!
          The Health Department also told me I needed a Polio booster??


4. Finalizing the excursions.
I have found these wonderful people on Cruise Critic, my new cruising companions!  They are awesome!  There are several people on their 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th World Cruise! I want to be just like them when I grow up! I have met so many new people! It started out as just introductions, and then turned into this wealth of information, from what to bring, to where to stay in Florida, and, most importantly, what to do in each place we visit!  


There have been many people who have organized tours in the different cities and I have asked for us to be added to these various tours! One benefit of these tours is that you are going with a very small group of people on a self organized tour that costs a fourth of the cost of the Holland America excursions. The negative is that the ship could leave without us if our tour group does not return to the port on time! Yikes!  


So therefore, I have been in contact with people in Australia, Egypt, India, Italy, Antarctica, Spain, Buenos Aires, Greece, Vietnam and I am sure other places too! My email dings at all hours of the day and night with emails ensuring times, cost, and availability of tours all over the world! 


The tours I have organized are in Naples and Messina, Italy.  Sondra has been great in organizing the overland tours in India to see the Taj Mahal and Egypt to the Pyramids!! I will also be joining her in Athens, Cairns - the Great Barrier Reef, and Sydney! Alan has organized tours in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Barcelona and Seville.  We will be joining Pauline and more CC members in Chile and Athens. Then in Tahiti, Lembar, Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh we will be traveling with Louise and her group! As you can see there are many people involved in planning!

5. Start Packing.
I have 2 pairs of tennis shoes, an umbrella, an over the door shoe organizer, a multi-plug outlet, and an extension cord packed in my suitcase! I have ALOT more to do!

The Planning Process

Where to Start 

When Thinking About 

What to Bring...

I thought planning for a wedding was hard, but as soon as I started I loved it! I would do it again! I had so much fun planning and the day was wonderful!

My Family!  WE MISS YOU, DAD!!!

Based on planning for a wedding, planning for a four month cruise shouldn't be so hard, right???

So how to you plan, let alone pack for a trip around the world? Being away from home for four months requires some thought! I tend to overpack - well I always overpack!  I always have the largest suitcase, but I always manage to have my luggage at 50.0 pounds!  But how do you pack for all climates? Granted when we were in Fiji it was summer, then a week later in New Zealand it was winter, then we were back to summer in the French Polynesian Islands, but that was only for 35 days, not 115 days!

I need clothes for the desert- Egypt, the rainforest - the Amazon, the tundra - Antarctica, the beach - the Great Barrier Reef!  I need hiking clothes, clothes that cover my shoulders, casual clothes, workout clothes, smart casual clothes, formal occasion clothes!  I need my classwork, my laptop, my camera, plus everything for getting ready each day, and not to mention SHOES!!! Walking shoes, comfortable shoes, dress shoes.... I always have a problem when it comes to wearing the "Right" shoe! I always wear the wrong shoes! Then I have to bring back things and who knows what we will end up buying!

So what do you pack?? So I have made lists and lists and even more lists!

The Essential List - which includes everything I couldn't live without on this trip, like my camera an passport!

The Electronics List - chargers, laptop, cell phone, etc.

The Clothing List - this one is LONG! 

The Cosmetic List - the only thing I don't need is shampoo and body wash! They have these on the ship!

The Medical List - for emergencies and hopefully there will be none!

The Leaving Home Checklist - reminders and things to do before leaving home, such as file an extension on my taxes!

The Miscellaneous and Extras List - duct tape, extension cord, bubble wrap... the just in case things!

I have the lists made, although I have nothing packed yet! So therefore the planning process has begun, but I still have ALOT to do!

My Journey

How I Came to Spend 115 Days Away From Home with My Mom

Besides my wonderful husband, my loving family and my dearest friends, the top things I love are:


1. Mallow Cups (my dad loved those too!)
2. York Peppermint Patties
3. TRAVELING!!!


I love candy, but Mallow Cups and York Peppermint Patties are the best!  I always ask my students to save me one from their after Halloween Trick or Treating! Although I don't think too many people pass them out anymore!  


But besides candy, I love traveling. I find it interesting, exciting, fascinating. I love seeing the sights, the old buildings, the different architectures, the mountains, the beaches, and the list goes on and on!  


I am a teacher, a seventh grade Earth and Space to be exact.  I didn't plan on becoming a teacher nine years ago when I first graduated college.  I was to be a doctor, I told myself I will go to grad school to get my Masters in teaching, but that would just be a stepping stone for Medical School. I was fortunate to get a teaching job, and never looked back! It became the best decision I made!


At first, I was teaching fourth grade at the elementary school I went to, my mentor was my kindergarten teacher.  I taught fourth grade for two years, then transferred to my old junior high school, teaching alongside teachers that once taught me. I taught eighth grade Earth and Space for the past 6 years and this year I am teaching seventh grade because the Earth and Space curriculum was switched to seventh! 


I always enjoyed going on vacation growing up. We went to Disney a few times, Niagara Falls, Florida, and even went on the Disney Cruise. All fun things but just your normal family summer vacations.  Although one year, my mom had a brilliant idea to tour the Northwest US on a bus. We went to Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Butte - Montana, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Vancouver, and then take a cruise to Alaska.  It was great!  


I spent a month in Boston with my friend Shaughna during college, but never did a semester in another country. I did go to Spain during high school. I did go with my family to Las Vegas, then from there went to LA to visit Shaughna while she was training in Krav Maga! I went on vacation with my cousin Colleen and her family, Sean and my brother Greg to Myrtle Beach. I went on spring break trips with my friends during college. One time to the Bahamas and then one year we decided to go to Fort Myers. The Allegheny baseball team was there - I am not sure what we were thinking! Who goes to Fort Myers for spring break?  


It wasn't until I became friends with Amy, that I started traveling MORE! Even though she ended up leaving after my first year of teaching, we somehow remained friends. She said she was going to go to Europe on a backpacking trip!  So I invited myself!  We didn't end up backpacking, but we did go to 16 countries in Europe...England, France, Spain, Italy, Vatican, Greece, Albania, Croatia, Austria, Bosnia, Slovenia, Germany, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. It was awesome!

Amy and I at the Swiss Alps in Switzerland!

Well, that started it... My Traveling and Photography Obsessions!




Since then I spent a month in France. I traveled the country with my friend, and fellow teacher, Jen.  We went to Paris, Normandy, Arromanches, Aix-en-Provence, Nimes, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Cannes, Nice, Pont du Gard, Avignon, the Loire Valley and Mont St. Michel - which became one of my Favorite places!  

Chateau de Chambord, Loire Valley, France

Then I spent another month in Italy, also with Jen, where we went to Rome, Pisa, Florence, the Chianti Region, Milan, Verona, Venice, Lake Garda, Portovenere, the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento, Capri, and Cinque Terre - which also has been added to the best places I have been too!

Venice!

Florence!

At Lake Garda

I have traveled back to Paris for New Years and Sean proposed while we were there on New Years Day! Sean and I went also to Cancun and Puerto Aventuras Mexico, Las Vegas a number of times, Disney World and Bermuda for Jill's wedding. 

After our wedding, we spent our Honeymoon traveling the South Pacific for 35 days.  We went to Beachcomber Island and Mantaray Island in Fiji. 

Our Hut in Fiji!

Then to Auckland, Waitamo, Rotorua, Lake Taupo, Wellington, Cook's Straight, Queenstown, Christchurch, Fox Glacier, Fjordland National Park, Milford Sound, Lake Ohau, Arrowtown, and Mt. Cook in New Zealand. 

Sky Diving in New Zealand!

Then we ended our wonderful honeymoon in Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora in the French Polynesian Islands! 

Sean and I in Bora Bora!

This summer I went to Arizona with my mom and Aunt Judy and we traveled to Tucson, Sedona, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon!

The Red Rocks of Sedona!

The Grand Canyon!

Sean and I also spent three weeks in Hawaii on the islands of Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. 

Sean and I in Oahu!

North Shore Beach!

I am very luckily to have traveled to so many places! I love to see things, so what else is there to see? How about a Cruise Around the World?  


Never in a million years did I think I would have the opportunity to sail around the world! I always dreamed of itm but never really thought it would come true!  This will give me the chance to see everything I possibly can, to take pictures (I have now become addicted to photography), to try new foods (I have learned to appreciate great food), to learn about new cultures, and so many other cool things! 


This whole thing started because my friend and I were planning on how we could spend a long time in another country! Which turned into getting a plane ticket around the world - which is very expensive! Then I looked into semester at sea, but I need to have my doctorate to teach on the ship. So that made me look into cruises around the world... and to my surprise, they exist! But how could I do that?  I had to consider work and who I would go with!


First step: I applied for a leave of absence from school and I was approved! 


Second step: I need to find someone to go with me!  At first, I asked my friend Jen to go, but she couldn't. Then, I asked my husband, Sean, but he couldn't get off work. Since my mom and Sean thought it would be a VERY BAD idea for me to go by myself, that meant my mom would have to go with me! I could not pass up this opportunity, plus I don't have children yet, so it would be the perfect time! I just had to convince my mom to come with me. My mom has so many things she needs to take care of on a daily basis. My dad passed away on January 20th, the hardest and saddest day of our lives.  My mom has not stopped since he passed away.  She has paperwork galore, tons of this form and that form, the most crazy things have happened, and she has held it all together, she is great!  Her most recent escapade is trying to sell my dad's dental office, but she found someone, who is awesome and has now bought the practice, made it her own and it has done a great job! My dad would be proud! Well, convincing my mom to go was pretty difficult, but it worked!  I also tried to get my brother to come to, but he couldn't leave work and he is going back to school - the responsible one! 

During my leave, I will be taking three graduate level courses in teaching to enhance my abilities as a teacher, what most teachers take on a sabbatical, but with a twist! While I am taking these courses, I will be circumnavigating the globe!


I am also creating a Virtual Learning Environment for everyone to enjoy! I will be posting information about each port and city we go to!  I am going to include everything I can about the city, from its location, to the geography, the climate, the time in that city, what it is famous for, information about artists and musicians, a whole bunch of earth facts and anything else I can find!  Then after I visit the area, I am going to tell about our experiences and hopefully, if the wifi is good, upload pictures of our trip!  


That is how I got to where I am!  I have had many people ask how I can leave Sean, and although it will be very hard to not see him for over four months, we both know that this is a wonderful and awesome experience! He is so supportive and happy for me, it makes it easy to go! 


I know this may sound crazy to some people, but I am excited! I think my mom is excited too, even though she probably has no idea where we are going or what we are doing! Although she did go to Arizona with me, so she knows how I travel - see everything all the time with little relaxing! That is just the way I travel! Luckily for her, there are sea days where I will be trapped on a boat with no places to drag her to see! 


Here begins our journey....