- Day D-2 Leaving Imperial Beach, California
- Day D-1 Arriving in Fort Lauderdale
- Day 1- The Grand Voyage Begins! 115 Days
- Day 2 – At Sea – Enroute Costa Rica
- Day 3 – Cruising the Carribean
- Day 4 – At Sea Enroute to Costa Rica
- Day 5 – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
- Day 6- Cruising the Panama Canal
- Day 7 – Fuerte Amador, Panama
- Day 8 – At Sea enroute to Nuku Hiva
- Day 9 – At Sea enroute to Nuku Hiva
- Day 10, At Sea – Enroute Nuku Hiva
- Day 11 – Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 12 – Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 13, Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 14, Sailing towards Nuku Hiva
- Day 15, Sailing toward Nuku Hiva
- Day 16, Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia
- Day 17, Sailing toward Avatoru
- Day 18 – Avatoru, Rangiroa
- Day 19, Papeete, Tahiti and taking the ferry to Mo’orea
- Day 20, Moorea, French Polynesia
- Day 21, Sailing toward Avatiu, Rarotonga
- Day 22, Avatiu, Rarotonga
- Day 23, Sailing toward Waitangi, New Zealand
- Day 24, Sailing towards Waitangi
- Day 25, Sailing towards Waitangi
- Day 26, Sailing towards Waitangi
- Day 27, Waitangi (Bay of Islands) New Zealand
- Day 28, Auckland, New Zealand
- Day 29, Sailing toward Picton, New Zealand
- Day 30, Picton New Zealand
- Day 31, Sailing toward Melbourne, Australia
- Day 32, Sailing toward Melbourne
- Day 33, Sailing toward Melbourne
- Day 34, Melbourne, Australia
- Day 35, Sailing toward Sydney Australia
- Day 36, Sydney, Australia
- Day 37, Sydney, Australia
- Day 38, Sailing towards Townsville
- Day 39, Sailing towards Townsville
- Day 40, Sailing towards Townsville
- Day 41, Townsville, Australia
- Day 42, Cairns, Australia
- Day 43, Sailing towards Darwin, Australia
- Day 44, Sailing towards Darwin, Australia
- Day 45, Sailing towards Darwin, Australia
- Day 46, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Day 47, Sailing toward Benoa, Indonesia
- Day 48, Sailing toward Benoa, Indonesia
- Day 49, Benoa, Bali, Indonesia
- Day 50, Sailing towards Semarang, Indonesia
- Day 51, Semarang, Java, Indonesia
- Day 52, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Day 53, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 54, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 55, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 56, Sailing toward Hong Kong
- Day 57, Hong Kong
- Day 58, Hong Kong
- Day 59, Hong Kong
- Day 60, Sailing toward Da Nang
- Day 61, Da Nang, Vietnam
- Day 62, Da Nang, Viet Nam
- Day 63, Sailing toward Phu My, Vietnam
- Day 64. Phu My, Vietnam
- Day 65, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Ms Amsterdam sailing toward Sihanoukville
- Day 66; Siem Reap to Sihanoukville – while Amsterdam is moored at Sihanoukville
- Day 67, Sailing toward Singapore
- Day 68, Singapore
- Day 69, Singapore
- Day 70, Singapore
- Day 71, Sailing toward Phuket, Thailand
- Day 72, Phuket, Thailand
- Day 73, Sailing toward Hambantota, Sri Lanka
- Day 74, Sailing toward Hambantota, Sri Lanka
- Day 75, Hambantota, Sri Lanka
- Day 76, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Day 77, Colombo, Sri Lanka to New Delhi, India
- Day 78, Agra, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)
- Day 79, Agra, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)
- Day 80, New Delhi, India (Ship sailing toward Dubai)
- Day 81, New Delhi to Dubai
- Day 82, Dubai, UAE
- Day 83, Dubai, UAE
- Day 84, Sailing toward Muscat
- Day 85, Muscat, Oman
- Day 86, Sailing toward Salalah, Oman
- Day 87, Salalah, Oman
- Day 88, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 89, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 90, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 91, Sailing toward Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 92, Al’Aqabah, Jordan
- Day 93, Sailing toward the Suez Canal
- Day 94, Transiting the Suez Canal
- Day 95, Haifa, Israel
- Day 96, Ashdod, Israel
- Day 97, Sailing toward Piraeus, Greece
- Day 98, Piraeus (Athens,) Greece
- Day 99, Katakolon, Greece
- Day 100, Sailing toward Civitavecchia, Italy
- Day 101, Civitavecchia, Italy
- Menus and On Locations updated…more posts coming soon
- Day 102, Livorno, Italy
- Day 103, Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Day 104, Barcelona, Spain
- Day 105, Sailing toward Cadiz
- Day 106, Cadiz, Spain
- Day 107, Sailing toward Funchal, Portugal
- Day 108, Funchal, Portugal
- Day 109, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 110, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 111, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 112, April 26, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 113, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 114, April 28, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 115, April 29, Sailing toward Fort Lauderdale
- Day 116, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Day 117, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
- Day 118, Sailing towards Cartagena
- Day 119, Sailing towards Cartagena
- Day 120, Cartagena, Colombia
- Day 121, Transiting the Panama Canal
- Day 122, Sailing toward Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Day 123, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Day 124, Corinto, Nicaragua
- Day 125, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala
- Day 126, Puerto Chiapas, Mexico
- Subscribe to this blog! – Check box at bottom of this page
- Day 127, Huatulco, Mexico
- Day 128, Sailing toward Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Day 129, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
- Day 130, Sailing toward San Diego, California
- Day 131, Sailing toward San Diego, California
- Day 132, San Diego, California
- Opening the Package! What is inside?
- That’s Entertainment!
- PACKING FOR A WORLD CRUISE
- How much does it cost to go on a world cruise? Part 1
- Amazing end of cruise video!
- How much does it cost to go on a world cruise? Part 2 – Pre and Post Cruise Expenses
- Holland America SELLS OUT 2017 World Cruise Inside Cabins – Segments still avail for less the $5,000 per cabin!
- How Much Does it Cost to Go on a World Cruise? Part 3 – Onboard Spending and Calculator
Today will be my 5th Suez Canal Transit, but my first on something other than an US Navy Aircraft Carrier when we went back and forth between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean 30 years ago aboard the USS Saratoga (CV 60). As you would imagine, security for an aircraft carrier was intense since being so close to shore we were vulnerable to small arms. Wherever possible, all along our path, there were heavily armed Jeeps riding shotgun on both sides of the canal in addition to a helicopter gun ship keeping watch overhead. We didn’t have razor wire lining our open decks, but 50 caliber machine guns positioned to give us complete coverage. On top of all that we had one of our cruisers up front with a destroyer right behind. Needless to say, we didn’t have any trouble on any of our transits.
Today on the Amsterdam, the razor wire was gone and we enjoyed munching on “Suez Canal” rolls, AKA “Panama Canal”, “Sydney” or “Hong Kong” rolls. They are always fresh baked and served whenever the bow is opened for a scenic port arrival.
We were scheduled to weigh anchor at 5 am and start moving toward the Canal at 6 am. Fortunately when I woke at 6 am we were still stationery so I didn’t miss anything. We are on deck 6, so I went forward to the observation deck right under the Bridge. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they had established a Coffee, Juice and Suez Canal Roll Station here in addition to the bow.
I was joined by our tablemate Susan, whose cabin is quite close to the chain locker, so she never sleeps through any anchoring event. I spent an entire 6 month deployment on a carrier, with my bunk right behind the Forecastle, also near the chain locker – and it was like being next to a freight train whenever they let go the anchor as it raced to the bottom.
As we approached the entrance to the canal, we could tell that we would be number two behind an Egyptian Frigate. She was formerly in the French Navy but was sold to the Egyptians years ago. We would later learn that the ship behind us was one of the largest container ships in the world, over twice as long as the Amsterdam with a load of 17,000 containers and room for more.
Unlike the Panama Canal, there aren’t signature moments like entering a lock, that standout with the Suez Canal. The canal appears to be exactly what it is, a long, straight channel that doesn’t have a well-defined beginning or end. Entering the canal is rather anticlimactic: there isn’t any whistle, bell, or even a marker or signpost that signifies the start of the canal. You simply start down the narrow channel and then you are in the Suez Canal.
After passing Port Suez, there isn’t much to look at along the way. There is a lot of sand on the eastern side and more green with occasional towns on the western side. Watch towers and other security look outs are everywhere. About halfway thru the canal we entered the Great Bitter Lake which is a place where convoys can pass.
Unlike most times when we are close to land, the shops and casino remained open all day and the activities were typical of any other sea day. We spent most of the day in our cabin relaxing and catching up on the blog. We kept the TV tuned to channel 41 to listen to Barbara’s commentary, and occasionally the Captain would join in when he would point out some interesting tidbit regarding navigation or other ships in the canal.
Around 4:30 the Captain announced were approaching the canal exit and would soon be in the Mediterranean. We hurried up to the deck 6 observation in time to see another non-descript exit appear. It was quite windy and made standing around quite difficult, so we didn’t spend much time here and hurried back inside.
We joined another couple in the Pinnacle Grill this evening. I had the 10 oz filet which is my favorite of all the cuts of meat available. Judy had one of their fish dishes which was moist and flaky and she enjoyed it very much.
Laura Broad, a singer from the UK, provided the entertainment this evening. She was a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent a few years back. She joined the ship in Jordan and will be leaving in Greece. Unlike most singers who enter the stage after being announced, Laura was already on stage behind a closed curtain when the show started. When the music started, the curtain was raised and Laura, in a beautiful blue sequined dress, was already center stage and started singing her first song. She went on to sing a wonderful rendition of Pie Jesu and then some of my favorites from Phantom of the Opera – “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” and “Music of the Night”. She concluded her show with the hit from the Body Guard by Dolly Parton “I Will Always Love You” which brought the audience to its feet with a thunderous standing ovation.
This entry was posted in 2016 Grand World Voyage, Sea Day, Suez Canal