Reset search
TA HAL Oosterdam 2023TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
SatelliteEdit route

TA HAL Oosterdam 2023

October - November 2023
Another westbound TransAtlantic to return us home from our annual trip to Türkiye ... with sightseeing along the way. Read more
  • 68footprints
  • 7countries
  • 26days
  • 459photos
  • 15videos
  • 10.4kmiles
  • 4.4ksea miles
  • 1.9kmiles
  • 5sea miles
  • 2sea miles
Follow Calendar Share Bucket list
Date descending
  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Day 27

    Final Itinerary

    November 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    As you've already read in the footprints, we had a number of itinerary changes on our 26-Day Ancient Empires & Spanish Farewell cruise aboard Oosterdam.

    Some of these were self-induced ... we opted to board in İstanbul, Türkiye instead of Piraeus (Athens), Greece.

    Others happened well before the cruise set sail... lost Sete, France ... but gained an overnight in Barcelona, Spain.

    The more serious changes that resulted in the loss of five ports — and the gain of two ports — happened during the cruise ... all weather-related. Our losses were Kotor, Montenegro; Cartagena & Cadiz, Spain; Lisbon & Funchal, Portugal. Our gains were both in the Canaries ... Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

    The most important thing in travel is to go with the flow. So, that's what we did. Yes, we were disappointed with the loss of so many ports, but we took it in stride ... and enjoyed the ports that we did visit, and the eight-day crossing back to the USA.    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Day 26

    Home Sweet Home

    November 15, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 41 °F

    Or near enough.

    Picking up a few groceries for breakfast tomorrow and then we’ll be home.

    Our flight to DEN landed on time. Took the train from the B Concourse to the Terminal. Got our bags and hopped on the Avis shuttle to pick up the rental car to get us home.

    Another trip is now in the can!    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Day 26

    Aboard UA 696 to Denver

    November 15, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    With a late afternoon flight back to Colorado, we were in no hurry to rush off Oosterdam when disembarkation began around 7:00a. Having selected the last disembarkation group color — Gray 2 — we waited in our cabin in comfort until we heard our group called just before 9:00a.

    One of the worst parts of disembarking a ship with nearly 2,000 passengers is the long lines to go through immigration. Well, today the lines moved at a steady pace, so it wasn’t bad. No wait at the taxi line either.

    By 10:00a, we were at FLL looking to check our bags. Not so fast. Apparently, bags can only be checked within four hours of the scheduled departure time. Oh well … we found a quiet spot in baggage claim of all places and whiled away the time until the magic hour.

    Once the bags were checked, things were back on track again. No wait at the security checkpoint. Seats available in the otherwise crowded United Club Lounge. On time boarding and departure of UA 696 to Denver.

    It’s been an uneventful flight thus far … a little turbulence notwithstanding. I even netted some complimentary miles on my MileagePlus account because the entertainment system at my seat is not functioning. I have my iPad and we have wi-fi for social media, so no problem passing the hours.

    Another hour to go and we should be landing in Denver.

    (Yay! I even got to post this footprint while we’re still on our way to Denver.)    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Day 26

    Welcome to the USA

    November 15, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 77 °F

    Picking up the pilot around 4:00a, Oosterdam then made it’s way to it’s assigned berth at Port Everglades … Ft Lauderdale, FL.

    While our cruise has now come to an end in overcast and rainy Florida, our trip will conclude only after we get home to Colorado this evening where it will be much colder I expect … but no precipitation of any kind.Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    2
    Day 25

    Atlantic Crossing: The Last Day

    November 14, 2023, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 77 °F

    We entered the Providence Channel around 2:30p to sail through the Bahamas on our way to Ft Lauderdale. A heron circling Oosterdam signaled our proximity to land.

    We have had seven time changes in all since departing Istanbul, gaining time over the past 25 days. We will fall back one last time … gaining another hour overnight to put us on Eastern Standard Time … GMT -5.

    As of noon, distance covered since departing Tenerife: 3,234 NM
    As of noon, distance remaining to Ft Lauderdale: 270 NM    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    1
    1
    Day 24

    Atlantic Crossing: Day 7

    November 13, 2023, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    A change in the weather today!

    Overcast and drizzly … a bit of humidity … warm. But the lack of sunshine made it possible for me to sit on the veranda for most of the day. Oosterdam went through a rain squall or two, but it wasn’t an issue on the protected veranda

    The light became brighter around 11:00a. The sun tried to break through, but the cloud cover won the battle. By mid-afternoon, however, the situation was reversed and the sun was out. But our heading was such that, the sun didn’t quite make it onto the veranda.

    Between his art ventures today, Mui began packing. We’re testing out a new way of packing, which we hope will make accessing clothes while on the road in Australia easier.

    Mui’s Guided Painting on Canvas Session this afternoon — the theme was “looking down on a beach from the top of a cliff” — went a bit long. Nonetheless, we had our wine on the veranda before having dinner at the Lido Market tonight.

    As of noon, distance covered since departing Tenerife: 2,878 NM
    As of noon, distance remaining to Ft Lauderdale: 574 NM    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    1
    Day 23

    Atlantic Crossing: Day 6

    November 12, 2023, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Lake Atlantic Ocean!

    That is how captain Rens described today’s sea state when he came on the P/A at noon for his daily announcement. Indeed, the Atlantic was flat calm today … at least until mid afternoon. What little motion of the ocean we’ve been experiencing since about 2:30p is really not worth mentioning, so I will simply move on.

    Not that there is much to move onto. I suppose I could mention that we are now in the three digits — distance-wise — in our quest to reach the USA … and have approximately two full days in which to cover that distance.

    As of noon, distance covered since departing Tenerife: 2,475 NM
    As of noon, distance remaining to Ft Lauderdale: 977 NM    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Day 22

    Atlantic Crossing: Day 5

    November 11, 2023, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We’re past the halfway point back to the USA!

    That’s what Captain Rens said when he gave his daily navigation report at noon. Of course, we’ve still got a distance to go, but the countdown is in earnest now.

    Mui stopped in at the Mainstage this morning for the Veterans Day Ceremony. He stayed long enough to see the flowers laid at the base of the podium and listen to a song performed by Cantaré. Then he had to run off to his adult coloring class. Not sure what else the ceremony entailed, but he said it was standing-room-only when he left.

    Tonight we dined with some fellow-passengers from Türkiye. We met Levent, Belgin, and Melissa when we embarked in İstanbul on 21 October … they are making a permanent move back to the US … at least until their daughter graduates from University. We met Atilla & Füsun yesterday. They are on their way to South America to meet up with their son, and then they will continue to Cusco, Peru where they will stay for a while. We had a pleasant evening with plenty of conversation and laughter.

    As of noon, distance covered since departing Tenerife: 2,044 NM
    As of noon, distance remaining to Ft Lauderdale: 1,408 NM    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    Day 21

    Atlantic Crossing: Day 4

    November 10, 2023, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌙 79 °F

    Routine. Routine. Routine.

    I suppose the only thing to write about is that in addition to going to the Coloring for Adults session, Mui paid the surcharge — $25 — to go to the Guided Painting on Canvas session today. The result? An impressionistic painting of water lilies. He did pretty good … and best of all, had fun.

    By the way, one of the great things about a westbound TransAtlantic is that we keep falling back where time is concerned. That means that some of our days are 25 hours long. We were at GMT +2 when we boarded Oosterdam in İstanbul on 21 October. We are now at GMT -2 … with several more hours to gain before it is all said and done.

    As of noon, distance covered since departing Tenerife: 1,614 NM
    As of noon, distance remaining to Ft Lauderdale: 1,838 NM    Read more

  • TA HAL Oosterdam 2023
    1
    Day 20

    Atlantic Crossing: Day 3

    November 9, 2023, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 79 °F

    We broke down today!

    I don’t mean that in the technical sense. The ship is sailing just fine … at an average speed that will get us to Ft Lauderdale as planned on 15 November.

    Rather, Mui and I broke down and purchased a one-device internet package that we will share for the remainder of the crossing. We paid for the package with the adjustments credited to our account for the taxes and fees due us for the port cancelations. No hit to the wallet is a good thing 😊

    I do have something out-of-routine to write about. Tonight was our dinner at the Pinnacle Grill. It is one of the restaurants on the ship that has a surcharge. Our reservation was compliments of Guest Services … for the compressor noise we’re having to endure from the mechanical room across the hall from us.

    We were seated at a two-top wanna-be in a niche. What I mean by that is that our table was barely separated from the two-tops on either side. No matter, we chatted with the others between courses, which helped pass the time.

    The food was excellent … but there was way too much of it. Our appetizers — crab cakes for me and stuffed mushroom caps for Mui … with an order of “clothesline candied bacon” to share — were more the size of an entree we thought. That we shared the bacon, with its interesting presentation, didn’t really make a difference to the fact that I could eat barely half of the baked Alaskan halibut that I ordered as that too was a large portion. As for the size of the dessert orders … well, Mui’s key lime pie was a reasonably sized portion; my “not-so-classic baked Alaska,” on the other hand, could have easily fed four people IMHO.

    Good thing I have some writing to do as it will be a while before I have digested the food and can go to bed.

    As of noon, distance covered since departing Tenerife: 1,192 NM
    As of noon, distance remaining to Ft Lauderdale: 2,260 NM    Read more

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English