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TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
  • Two to Travel
  • Ahmet Erkun

TA HAL Oosterdam 2023

Another westbound TransAtlantic to return us home from our annual trip to Türkiye ... with sightseeing along the way. Read more
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  • Trip start
    October 21, 2023
    TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Itinerary for the 26-day Ancient Empires & Spanish Farewell TransAtlantic ... as of now.

    Ancient Empires & Spanish Farewell

    December 26, 2021 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    We booked this westbound TransAtlantic [T/A] on Holland America's Oosterdam yesterday and received our confirmation this morning.

    Really, we had no plans to book this cruise when we woke up yesterday. But we needed to transfer the non-refundable deposit for the February 2022 HAL South Pacific cruise that we just canceled ... too many unknowns around the itinerary.

    Thus, we now have another addition to what promises to be a busy 2023 for us travel-wise. We're up for the challenge ;-)    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Details of HAL's Signature Suite cabins.

    Our First SS

    December 30, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 41 °F

    I mentioned in the original post that we had transferred a non-refundable deposit to book this westbound T/A on Holland America's Oosterdam.

    HAL's rules say that such deposits must be transferred to a booking of equal or higher value. The South Pacific cruise, from which the deposit was moved, was 31 days. This cruise is 26 days. As well, the SoPac was a more expensive itinerary.

    The only way to meet the requirement for equal or higher value then was to book a higher-category cabin. Enter the "Signature Suite" ... the SS mentioned in the title.

    We've sailed in suites before ... when the pricing was palatable. So, this won't be our first time in a suite. But it will be our first time sailing in a HAL suite. We're looking forward to it.

    With so many travel plans already on the books, this October-November 2023 cruise won't be getting any attention from me for a while. But at least the FindPenguins trip is set up, so if something newsworthy does happen, I can quickly post a footprint.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Haven't flown out of FLL in a long while.

    FLL-DEN Flight ✓

    December 31, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    Happy New Year! Midnight has yet to come around, however, so technically it is still 2022.

    We are currently on our second world cruise ... having left Miami just three days ago aboard Oceania's Insignia. Today is a day at sea to prepare for the festive New Year's Eve Party planned for tonight. Yeah, right! It's been ages since we last saw the new year in at midnight with anything but snores and snuffles. But we will make an attempt tonight.

    The wi-fi on Insignia has been pretty steady today. We took advantage of the signal to research airfare to return us home from Ft Lauderdale at the conclusion of our fall Oosterdam TransAtlantic. Which is why I am finally writing another footprint for this trip ... after a one-year hiatus.

    I was willing to consider a one-stop connecting flight to get us to COS [Colorado Springs Airport] instead of flying into DEN [Denver International Airport] ... just to avoid the drive home. But those tickets — using $s or award miles — were more expensive than what we wanted to shell out.

    In the end, we booked a nonstop United Airlines [UA] flight at 3:20p … arriving at DEN at 5:57p. I also purchased the Economy Plus (E+) upgrade bundle and snagged exit row seats to travel in comfort.

    I’ll be monitoring flights and will repurchase tickets if I see a better deal. In the meantime, we at least have these in our back pocket.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023

    FLL-DEN Schedule Change

    July 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    I wrote the last footprint for this trip at the front end of our world cruise. That was on New Year's Eve.

    Here we are ... 7½ months later ... and I am writing this footprint on the day that our world cruise officially ended in San Francisco. Having disembarked a day early when the ship first arrived in port, however, we are already home ... and dealing with a flight change for our next cruise.

    We received the change notification this morning. Can’t say that I am pleased with it!

    What’s another half hour waiting at the airport you might ask? Really, it's not a big deal. But when your ship arrives in port at the crack of dawn ... and you have to disembark by 9:30a ... and your flight isn’t until mid-afternoon. Well, that half hour just feels like a long time.

    I did a deep dive into alternate flight options — both airlines and airports. The conclusion? Even with the revised schedule, our current flight is still the best one for us. So, we gritted our teeth and accepted the change.

    I heartily wish now that we’d kept our UA Lounge passes for this trip instead of using them yesterday in San Francisco. But it is what it is and we will deal with it.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    We lose Sete, France and gain an overnight in Barcelona, Spain.

    Itinerary Revision #1

    July 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    When I saw the HAL change notification email in my inbox this morning, my heart sank.

    Why? Because the first thing that came to my mind was the change Sonia & Boris experienced when they did this same cruise last year. Essentially, disembarkation from Oosterdam was switched from Ft Lauderdale to Miami.

    Technically, this change would not be a biggie. The two cities are not that far apart. But we’d have to deal with either an airport change from FLL to MIA or figure out transportation to get from Miami to Ft Lauderdale to fly out as currently planned.

    The good news is that our debarkation port remains as Ft Lauderdale. The change is actually to one of our ports of call.

    Turns out that we will not be calling on Sete, France, which would have been a new-to-us port. Instead, we will be arriving in Barcelona around noon on 31 October and staying overnight for a second day in port.

    Works for us. There’s so much we can do in Barcelona. And with an overnight, we could even venture somewhere outside the city. We’ll look at options when we sit down to figure out our sightseeing plans for this cruise.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Saving money is always a bonus.

    Cha Ching! TransAtlantic Repriced

    July 15, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    I almost didn’t check the current pricing on the HAL website today.
    And what a shame that would have been!

    In the interim since I last checked, the rate for our cabin category had gone down considerably ... four digits considerably!

    My call to HAL to get the cabin repriced had to be forwarded to a pricing specialist since our booking has a non-refundable deposit. It was worth the extra wait time to do so.

    I was given two options ... price reduction or upgrade to a Neptune Suite at no extra charge. At any other time, I would have jumped at the chance to upgrade. However, we have a number of expensive trips coming up in the very near future. Saving money by staying in our current Signature Suite category was more wallet-friendly in this instance.

    The additional good news is that as well as saving a very satisfying amount of money, I was able to move us from SS6062 to SS6052, which has a larger veranda. Always a plus IMHO.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    We'll be embarking Oosterdam in İstanbul instead of Pireaus.

    İstanbul Embarkation ✓

    July 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    When I was repricing this cruise yesterday, I also requested a change to our embarkation port.

    Though we were told yesterday that we could expect a response within 3-5 business days, HAL’s approval of our request to board Oosterdam in İstanbul, Türkiye instead of Piraeus, Greece came today. On a Sunday, no less. With a letter that we can show the authorities should proof of the authorization be needed.

    The embarkation change means missing out on the daytime transit through the Dardanelles. But we've done this before, so it is no great loss to us. Since we'll be in İzmir in the weeks preceding the cruise, flying to İstanbul will be much easier and worth missing the day of cruising to board Oosterdam that afternoon. The bonus is that we will get to spend a few extra days with family before we leave for the cruise back home.

    Now we just need to decide if we are going to fly up the day before to do some sightseeing in İstanbul in advance of our embarkation. Or if we are going to fly up on the morning of 21 October ... the day of embarkation.

    Either way, methinks there will be a stop or two at Hafız Mustafa's Galataport shop for baklava and künefe.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    We now have somewhere comfortable to wait for our flight.

    FLL-DEN Re-Ticketed

    July 19, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    This morning, we re-ticketed our return flights to the USA in order to extend our time in Australia next winter. The good news? The ticket price was lower. The sort-of bad news, the difference was given to us as a future flight credit with a travel-must-commence-by date of April 2024.

    My first thought was to use the flight credit to upgrade our FLL-DEN flight in November. I initiated a chat with UA and asked if we could do so. The answer? Doable … with a caveat. The cost of the upgrade had to be equal to or less than the value of the flight credit. After the agent delved into our booking, he came back with a final “no can do” … not enough credit.

    To the drawing board I went back. Our existing booking was E+ [Economy Plus] award tickets. Could I possibly cancel it at no cost to the wallet and rebook for cash + future credit certificate? The short answer ... yes.

    The miles for the original tickets are now redeposited in Mui's Mileage Plus account, and the taxes & fees and the E+ bundle refund back to the credit card is pending.

    As for the new booking. Same flights as before ... same E+ upgrade ... same exit row seats. With the bonus of a UA Lounge Pass add-on so that we can comfortably while away the long wait time between disembarking Oosterdam and our flight departure at 3:45p.

    All good ... with only a few dollars and cents of the future flight credit remaining on the table. We can live with that.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    A mid-morning Saturday flight will take us from İzmir to İstanbul.

    ADB-IST Flight ✓

    September 8, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    We purchased our airfare from ADB [İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport] to IST [İstanbul Airport].

    Since no other family members were interested in joining us for a quickie getaway in İstanbul, we decided to fly in on the day of embarkation … 21 October. We have, after all, spent quite a bit of time sightseeing in İstanbul in the past … no reason to add extra expenses by flying in early.

    It’s unusual for us to not fly into the port of embarkation at least a day early. In this case, however, there is no risk of missing sail away. For one thing, Oosterdam is not scheduled to arrive at Galataport until 4:00p on the 21st. And it is staying there overnight for much of the next day.

    Now to decide how we are going to get from IST to Galataport. And how we are going to kill time until embarkation since we will have luggage with us and likely nowhere to leave it.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Welcome to the THY Business Lounge — ADB, İzmir.
    Enjoying a cup of tea at the THY Business Lounge — ADB, İzmir.Breakfast buffet @ the THY Business Lounge — ADB, İzmir.Mui enjoying a large cup of Turkish coffee @ the Lounge — ADB, İzmir.Breakfast at the THY Business Lounge — ADB, İzmir.

    ... Another Door Opens

    October 21, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    The “door” in this case is a trip.

    We are still in İzmir, awaiting our flight to İstanbul in order to embark Oosterdam this afternoon for the cruise back home. That said, our annual trip to visit family is over.

    We had some Turkish Airlines (THY) Miles & Smiles points that were due to expire at the end of the year. So, we splurged and bought business-class tickets for the short hop to IST.

    Thus we begin our next trip in style ... waiting in the THY Business Lounge for TK 2313 to be called. Even better, we entered the airport through the VIP lounge ... thus avoiding the first of two layers of security that passengers have to go through at the main terminal.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Transfer bus from lounge to aircraft — ADB, İzmir.
    Aboard TK2313 — ADB, İzmir.Fresh OJ ... hallmark of the company that caters THY flights — ADB, İzmir.

    Aboard TK2313

    October 21, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    A comfortable airport bus brought us from the THY Lounge directly to the gate where our air chariot — a wide-body B777-300 — was waiting for us.

    We’ve flown this aircraft many times … both internationally as well as domestically. Being familiar with the layout, we quickly found our seats — 2J and 2K — easily enough.

    The welcome aboard drinks have been served … fresh squeezed OJ was our choice. Now we await take-off!    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    1SS6052 on HAL's Oosterdam ... looking from the door into the cabin — İstanbul, Türkiye.
    SS6052 on HAL's Oosterdam ... looking towards the cabin door — İstanbul, Türkiye.SS6052 on HAL's Oosterdam ... en suite facilities — İstanbul, Türkiye.1SS6052 on HAL's Oosterdam ... spacious veranda — İstanbul, Türkiye.

    Embarked Oosterdam

    October 21, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    TK2313 landed at IST at noon.

    It took us another hour to taxi to the terminal, get bussed to baggage claim, collect our bags, walk to the metro station, and hop on the next train traveling from the airport in the direction of Gayrettepe. Since the metro line has not been completed to the last station yet, we hopped off at Kağıthane and hailed a cab to Galataport. By 3:00p, we were at the cruise terminal … glimpsing Oosterdam on approach, maneuvering to squeeze into its berth between two other cruise vessels.

    We had a bit of a wait while the ship completed clearance formalities and disembarked passengers for their shore excursions. Shortly after 4:00p, we were on our way to the ship.

    Since we would become “transit passengers” once we embarked Oosterdam, first we had to go through immigration formalities to exit Türkiye. Then onto the ship, where we went through the check-in formalities and received our keycards for the cabin. Yay!

    We had no trouble finding SS6052, our suite on deck 6 … our bags standing outside the door. In a previous footprint, explained why we are in a signature suite on this cruise, so I won’t go into that again. Suffice to say that our corner suite is quite spacious … and even better, has an oversized veranda. The decor is dated, however, and the wear and tear wrought by the passage of time since we were last on Oosterdam in 2018 is quite apparent. No matter. We will enjoy the extra space for the next 24 days.

    We did not dally in the cabin to settle in. Instead, once we had the luggage inside, we headed right back out to enjoy a bit of sightseeing and food.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Leaving Europe on a ferry to Asia — İstanbul, Türkiye.
    Glimpse of Topkapı Palace from the ferry to Kadıköy — İstanbul, Türkiye.Sunset view from the ferry to Kadıköy — İstanbul, Türkiye.Dinner at Hamsi Pub in Kadıköy — İstanbul, Türkiye.Dessert at Hamsi Pub in Kadıköy ... delicious semolina halva stuffed with vanilla ice cream.Oosterdam and night scenes on the ferry back to Karaköy — İstanbul, Türkiye.Nusretiye Camii and Tophane Tower — İstanbul, Türkiye.Time to shop for sweets at Hafız Mustafa ... Galataport — İstanbul, Türkiye.Mui's selection from Hafız Mustafa ... Galataport — İstanbul, Türkiye.Galataport from our veranda — İstanbul, Türkiye.Galataport from our veranda — İstanbul, Türkiye.

    Europe to Asia to Europe

    October 21, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 72 °F

    Having recently spent a few days in İstanbul with his friends, Mui had our evening in İstanbul all planned out.

    We were to take a cruise across the Bosphorus to Üsküdar; take another cruise to Aşiyan for sightseeing; make our way to Kadıköy for dinner; return to Karaköy … traveling thus from Europe to Asia and back to Europe in the span of a couple of hours … using public transportation to get us there and back.

    We started out by taking the metro from the station near Galataport to the ferry terminal. A lovely sunset cruise to the Asian side of the Bosphorus. So far, so good. A few minutes later, however, we were jiggling our plans. No cruises to Aşiyan this evening. So, we hopped on a bus to go straight to Kadıköy instead.

    Hamsi Pub, the place Mui had in mind for dinner, is located in the historic shopping district. There are still lots of shops where one can spend money galore, but restaurants and cafes line the streets as well … the tables filled with patrons enjoying a night out on the town … music blaring from loudspeakers.

    I wasn’t sure we’d be able to get a table on a Saturday night without reservations. But our timing worked in our favor as 7:00p is still fairly early by Turkish dining standards. From the tray of mezes (Turkish tapas) we selected a couple of dishes … supplementing them with a shrimp casserole and fried calamari. We wrapped up our delicious meal with a very tasty semolina halva stuffed with vanilla ice cream. Can you say yummy?

    The return ferry ride to Karaköy gave us a scenic nighttime cruise that we enjoyed from the back deck of the ferry. The ferry landing wasn’t too far from Galataport, so we got some steps in on the way back to the ship.

    It was 9:30p by the time we were back in the cabin. It was very tempting to just go to bed and leave the unpacking until tomorrow. With a short day in port, however, we decided to forego a bit of sleep tonight instead of losing sightseeing time in İstanbul tomorrow.

    Oh! I almost forgot. On the way back to Oosterdam, we detoured into Mui’s favorite shop in İstanbul — Hafız Mustafa. Conveniently, there is a branch at Galataport. A box of baklava, thus made it onto the ship with us 😉    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Nusretiye Camii was commissioned by Sultan Mahmud II (built 1823-26) — İstanbul, Türkiye.
    Making memories ... Tophane Square ... İstanbul, Türkiye.Tophane Square Fountain ... commissioned by Sultan Mahmud I (built 1732) — İstanbul, Türkiye.Breakfast on the Karaköy waterfront — İstanbul, Türkiye.Galata Bridge spans the Golden Horn and is a popular place for anglers — İstanbul, Türkiye.Süleymaniye Mosque — İstanbul, Türkiye.The Karaköy Police Station is housed in a beautiful historic building — İstanbul, Türkiye.Checking out a baklava store in Karaköy — İstanbul, Türkiye.Another baklava shop down the street ... we go into check out the decorative display — İstanbul.Nusretiye Camii & Tophane-i Amire Clock Tower — İstanbul, Türkiye.

    Breakfast & Karaköy Stroll

    October 22, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Our second day in İstanbul didn’t start as early as we thought it would. No surprise I guess. It was well past midnight when we finally got to bed after settling into the cabin last night. Anyway, by 8:30a, we were off the ship to make the most of what time we had remaining in İstanbul.

    The plan was to have breakfast on the waterfront in Karaköy before doing a bit of museum-seeing.

    As we did yesterday, we took the metro from the station near Galataport to the Galata Bridge … just one stop. From there we walked to the waterfront where locals had mentioned that we could find a couple of places to have breakfast. We did. But not the kind of breakfast we were hoping for. In hindsight, grabbing breakfast at Galataport might have been a better idea. On the other hand, a quick breakfast saved us from dallying over our food and gave us time for a stroll.

    We ate our our simple morning repast as we watched anglers fishing from the Galata Bridge … ferries flitting here and there across the Bosphorus … seagulls looking for handouts. At that early hour on a Sunday morning, it was rather peaceful … which we enjoyed after the hubbub of İstanbul yesterday.

    From the Karaköy ferry landing, from where we walked to Galataport last night, we retraced our steps. After all, we had time before the art museum we planned to visit opened for the day. And, as it was a comfortably warm morning, getting some extra steps logged in did not go amiss. We meandered on to a few side streets to check them out along the way. Mui, of course, had to peek into the baklava shops along the way. But this time his wallet stayed in his pocket.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Today's sightseeing plan includes İstanbul Modern @ Galataport — İstanbul, Türkiye.
    Exhibit of photos highlighting the construction of the new museum building ... İstanbul Modern."Orphans" in Erzurum, Türkiye (N.B. Ceylan) ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."Forest" (S. Horada) ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."Against the Current" (G. Terkol) ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."Sparkling Colors" (N. Aladağ ... inspired by colorful Venetian blinds) ... İstanbul Modern."Trans-For-Men 11 (Fibonacci) by A. Kwade ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."Big-Eyed Tongue-Tied Mountains Beneath Solar and Lunar Orbs" (H. Yang) ... İstanbul Modern."Caleb II" from auto parts (M. Bourouissa) ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."Abysmal - Logistics" ... Corinth Canal (M. Germen) ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."The Boat" (A. Arbaş) ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."The Fisher Boy & Cats" (O. Peker) ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."Race Car" (M. Güleryüz) ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."The Magnificent Age" from the "Cones" series ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."Skinless" (İ. Eviner) ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye."Hand Globe" (S. Gürbüz) ... İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye.From the Observation Deck @ İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye.Galata Tower ... from the Observation Deck @ İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye.From the Observation Deck @ İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye.From the Observation Deck @ İstanbul Modern — İstanbul, Türkiye.

    İstanbul Modern @ Galataport

    October 22, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Located in its purpose-built new home, İstanbul Modern — an art museum that sits on the waterfront — is part of the Galataport complex.

    It had not yet opened to visitors when we stopped in İstanbul on our Insignia cruise in April 2022. The museum’s proximity to the cruise terminal made it an excellent choice for us today since Oosterdam’s scheduled 3:00p departure meant that we had a short day in port.

    We arrived at the museum five minutes before it’s scheduled opening at 10:00a and were amongst the few to enter at that early hour. A quick stop to purchase tickets — ₺120/person for 65+ ($4.25 at today’s exchange rate) — and soon we were making our way up to the first floor to begin wandering through the various halls hosting exhibits.

    Admittedly, modern art is not really our cup of tea. But the museum is very well done. And we did find a number of pieces that made sense to us. The interpretation of some of the others left us befuddled and scratching our heads. Nonetheless, the museum was worth the price of admission … more so when converted to USD.

    Our tickets also gave us access to the observation deck on the top floor … with a reflecting pool doubling our pleasure in the scenery around us.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Hafız Mustafa has been serving delicious sweets in İstanbul since 1864 — Galataport.
    Turkish tea @ Hafız Mustafa ... Galataport — İstanbul, Türkiye.Su Böreği is a popular savory pastry ... Hafız Mustafa ... Galataport — İstanbul, Türkiye.Prepping the Künefe @ Hafız Mustafa — Galataport, İstanbul.Ready to dig into the künefe ... Hafız Mustafa ... Galataport — İstanbul, Türkiye.Mui's side order is a pistachio filled pastry ... Hafız Mustafa ... Galataport — İstanbul, Türkiye.

    Lunch @ Hafız Mustafa @ Galataport

    October 22, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    It was almost noon when we left İstanbul Modern. Our tummies were starting to growl.

    We briefly debated leaving the Galataport secure zone to get ourselves some lunch at a less touristy place. But then decided to do what we did in Dubai earlier this year … go to Hafız Mustafa for su böreği (a savory pastry with a cheese filling) and künefe (a sweet made from layers of shredded pastry [kadayıf] with cheese in the middle) … accompanied by Turkish tea.

    Our timing was perfect. No sooner were we seated at a table for two that the entire place filled up. We enjoyed our meal … taking time afterwards to share photos with friends and family while we still have our T-Mobile data. (On this cruise, we will only have internet when we are ashore in a port of call.)

    Mui’s craving for all-things Hafız Mustafa has now been sated … until next time 😄    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Galataport is a hubbub of activity — İstanbul, Türkiye.
    Bye bye Galataport — İstanbul, Türkiye.A closer look at İstanbul Modern @ Galataport — İstanbul, Türkiye.Dolmabahçe (yellow buildings on the waterfront) — İstanbul, Türkiye.1Boats of every shape and size flitting across the Bosphorus — İstanbul, Türkiye.Leander's Tower — İstanbul, Türkiye.From the Blue Mosque to Topkapı Palace with Hagia Sophia in between — İstanbul, Türkiye.Topkapı Palace — İstanbul, Türkiye.Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) ... church to mosque to museum to mosque again — İstanbul, Türkiye.Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) — İstanbul, Türkiye.Sailing into the sunset ... Sea of Marmara.

    Bye Bye İstanbul

    October 22, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    After lunch, we did a bit of shopping at Macro Center … a supermarket just outside the secure zone for Galataport and the cruise terminal. Then it was time to embark Oosterdam and prepare for the sail away from İstanbul.

    The bowlines were let go a little after 3:00p … the delay due to late arriving ship’s tours. Mui and I went up to the Observation Deck for the sail away so that we could move from port to starboard and back as warranted by the scenery.

    The Bosphorus provides a scenic backdrop for cruise departures from İstanbul. I just wish the smog/marine layer didn’t detract so much from the beauty of the landscape. Of course, the harsh mid-afternoon light did not help matters either. I clicked off a few shots nonetheless … just to have a few photos for this footprint.

    We’re now headed to the Sea of Marmara … and from there we will transit the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea. It will be nightfall by then, so I don’t expect to see much. No worries. We’ve done the transit through the strait before and know well what we will be missing tonight.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Welcome to Mykonos, Greece.
    View of the new port area from Oosterdam's Observation Deck — Mykonos, Greece.The small harbor from where the water taxis depart is a short walk from the pier — Mykonos, Greece.And we're off to Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Bye bye for now, Oosterdam — Mykonos, Greece.From the water taxi — Mykonos, Greece.From the water taxi — Mykonos, Greece.

    Welcome to Mykonos

    October 23, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    “A first for me,” said Captain Rena van Eerten in his welcome announcement for the Greek island of Mykonos when we arrived mid-morning. He was referring to the wind-free conditions of today. Indeed unusual for an island that is dotted with windmills.

    Our itinerary had us tendering into Mykonos Town. But we learned last night that we would be docking instead … at the new port … about a mile from town. That brought up the question of how to make our way to the town center. Though the distance is walkable, the narrow, curvy, busy road has no sidewalks. Thus walking was out. Would there be a shuttle service … like the one we used when we called on Mykonos in 2013? Yes, there would. But there was a better alternative this time … water taxis … for €2/person each way. Excellent.

    Disembarking Oosterdam, we walked across the way to the small boat harbor from which the water taxis depart. Within minutes we had round trip tickets in our pocket and were getting on the next departure to Mykonos Town.

    The 10-minute ride was pleasant … the shade on the aft deck where we stood welcome as it was a sunny blue-sky day and unseasonably hot … with no wind to mitigate the heat. Shortly after 11:00a, we were walking off the gangway and making our way into town.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Welcome to Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.
    Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.The ship in the distance is Nieuw Statendam ... at anchor instead of Oosterdam — Mykonos, GreeceMykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Lower windmills from various parts of town — Mykonos, Greece.Lower Windmills ... Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Little Venice from a distance ... Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.A little closer to Little Venice ... Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Looking back towards the lower windmills... Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.An interesting church ... Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Color of the day ... blue Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.

    Meandering in Mykonos Town

    October 23, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    The only other time we were in Mykonos was aboard Celebrity Constellation … in 2013. On that occasion, we went to the Island of Delos by boat, and then returned to Mykonos Town, had a very late lunch before heading back to the ship. The short stroll we did then gave us some familiarity with the layout of the town today, which helped us make our way around easily.

    For this visit, I had planned for us to take the bus to the quaint village of Ano Mera. The ride, I read, was 20 minutes and busses departed every 30 minutes. Excellent. Except that when we got to the bus station on the far side of the harbor around 11:30a, we were told that the next bus was at 1:00p … even though the schedule showed one at noon. Time to jiggle our plans.

    The Archaeological Museum was temporarily closed. Mui wasn’t prepared with the necessary accoutrements to spend the day on one of the beaches with invitingly clear water. So, we decided on a meandering stroll in Mykonos Town followed by lunch. Using Google Maps to loosely guide us, we enjoyed the quaint atmosphere of the white-washed buildings sporting colorful doors and trims … mostly blue, but some red, grey, or orange as well. The narrow, cobblestone streets were delightful. That we rarely came across any others except the locals, added to the charm.

    Our meanderings took us up to a couple of windmills — icons of Mykonos … but not the more famous ones by the waterfront that are known as the Lower Windmills. One of the windmills we came to alongside a hilltop road had been restored; the other was not so lucky. Nonetheless, they both made charming subjects for photos … and they offered great viewpoints for aerial looks down to Mykonos Town.

    Eventually we made our way down to the windmills on the waterfront. A few clicks of the camera, and we made our way to a beach for a stroll to Little Venice … the historic houses that were built by the wealthy sea captains. Along the way we checked out a couple of places for lunch, but moved on when they did not prove satisfactory. That, in fact, worked in our favor … but that’s for the next footprint.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Katerina's is inside one of theseLittle Venice houses ... Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.
    Welcome to Katerina's ... Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Katerina's ... Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Mui raising a toast with ouzo @ Katerina's ... Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Delicious food @ Katerina's ... Mykonos Town — Mykonos, Greece.Had the balcony not been in the blazing sun, this would have been our lunch view @ Katerina's.

    Lunch @ Katerina’s

    October 23, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌧 66 °F

    On a back street, we found Katerina’s … a gem of a restaurant inside one of the Little Venice houses. The establishment is named for Katerina Xidaki, a local woman who at age 18 became the first professional female captain of a motor vessel.

    There were no tables available on the tiny balcony, which was in the sun anyway. So we gave up the scenery to sit at the only table available in the A/C-cooled dining room.

    The menu offered a selection of Mediterranean dishes, with seafood featuring prominently. We opted for a bunch of mezes (appetizers). The portions turned out to be quite large … saganaki; feta cheese wrapped in phyllo, deep fried, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds; calamari; and tempura-style zucchini slices with tzatziki sauce. Mui ordered ouzo; I opted for an Alpha, the local beer on the menu. Everything was delicious and plentiful, making us happy that Mui had not opted to also order the mussels. Dessert — a mix of baklava and kadayıf — was compliments of the establishment … and a nice wrap to a very nice meal.

    We continued our meandering stroll through the streets, making our way back to the harbor. We came out not far from the water taxi drop-off point. Having purchased R/T tickets this morning, we made our way onto the next taxi to depart. It was right around 3:00p … just as planned.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023

    Day at Sea

    October 24, 2023, Ionian Sea ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    Had a quiet day at sea … cruising from the Aegean to the Med and up to the Adriatic.

    We spent the day relaxing … in my case, on the veranda most of the day … until it became bathed by the sun. It was a good day to process photos and draft up footprints for the past two days so that I can upload them when we get to Kotor tomorrow.

    Mui went to the art class mid-morning … “Creating Designs from Doodles: Bookmarks.” It was a “simple class,” but it helped to pass time. He’s looking forward to the watercolor classes promised by the instructor.

    We wrapped up the day with dinner in the Vista Dining Room, followed by tonight’s show on the Main Stage … featuring Cantaré, a quartet of guys from the USA.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Kotor ... no go — Tivate Bay, Montenegro.

    Kotor, Montenegro: No-Go!

    October 25, 2023 in Montenegro ⋅ 🌧 68 °F

    As you will see from the attached map, Captain Rens made an attempt to get us into Kotor. Alas, winds gusting up to 55 mph gave Mother Nature the upper hand and he regrettably had to turn the ship around and head back towards the Adriatic.

    The good news is that we’ve been to Kotor before. (How’s that for a silver lining spin on missing it on this cruise? 😉).

    At the moment, having gone through the Bay of Tivat and the narrow Kumbor Channel, we are at a standstill in Hercegnovski Zaljev (Bay). A light mist is starting to veil the scenery. But that is not why we are holding our position. Rather, Oosterdam needs to be cleared out of Montenegro before we can proceed. As well, we have a medical disembark and a crew change pending action.

    We will be at sea for the rest of the day.

    Tomorrow is scheduled as a sea day to get us from Montenegro to Italy. Will that still be the case now that Kotor is canceled? That is TBD.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    On our way to Kotor ... or so we believe — Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro.
    Kotor is canceled and we turn tail to retrace our route — Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro.Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro.Passing Perast — Gulf of Kotor, Montenegro.Retracing our route through the narrow chanel to Tivat Bay — Montenegro.Fish farm — Montenegro.Bay of Tivat — Montenegro.Bay of Tivat — Montenegro.Leaving Kumbor Channel behind — Montenegro.Looking around Hercegnovski Bay — Montenegro.Celebrity Beyond deoesn't even attempt to go to Kotor and turns around in Hercesgnovski Bay.Tui's Marella Explorer makes an attempt ... and turns tail like we did to pass us in Hercegnovski.Mui waving down at me from deck 10 aboard Oosterdam — Hercegnovski Bay, Montenegro.I wave up at Mui from our deck 6 veranda aboard Oosterdam — Hercegnovski Bay, Montenegro.1Mui having fun with an "Oosterdam ears" selfie — Hercegnovski Bay, Montenegro.Leaving Hercegnovski Bay, Montenegro.Bye bye Montenegro!

    Montenegro & Out to Sea

    October 25, 2023, Adriatic Sea ⋅ 🌬 68 °F

    Having completed the medical disembark and collected the crew that was to have embarked in Kotor, Oosterdam was on the move from Hercegnovski Bay around 11:15a.

    As we moved out towards the Adriatic, Captain Rens came on the P/A and updated us on the plans for tomorrow, which will remain a day at sea as originally scheduled. But, the timing of our transit of the Strait of Messina has been moved from nighttime to daytime. And we are going to detour to the Island of Stromboli to take a peek at the volcano that makes up the bulk of the island. So, we get to do a bit of scenic cruising tomorrow.

    I spent most of our time at sea on the veranda … despite the rather gloomy weather. Mui joined me part of the time … going to the watercolor session to entertain himself mid-afternoon. The veranda is well protected from the elements. So much so that we even managed to sit through the squall Oosterdam went through … thunder, lightning, and sideways blowing rain notwithstanding.

    All in all, while we hadn’t planned on being at sea today, we didn’t mind it much either.

    I took no photos after we left Montenegro for the open seas, so I’ll share the ones I took while Oosterdam was transiting its way out to the Adriatic.    Read more

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