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  • Jim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

World Cruise

A 181-day adventure by Jim and Nancy Read more
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    December 15, 2014
    Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Woodstock, Virginia

    December 14, 2014 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We have done all we can to get ready for the trip. The boat is out of the water and safe. Max and Tookie are safe with Emelia and Yvonne and other then all our appliance in the kitchen deciding to break just before we leave the house is ready for winter. We picked up Jeff and Ali and stuffed all the luggage in the MaxMobile and took off south.Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    The Shell House Restaurant, Savannah

    December 15, 2014 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Stopping in Savannah on the way to Florida. We ate a restaurant that had an interesting menu. We, of course, had to sample the "exotic" desserts and they were pretty special. The most interesting thing about the place was that the table had a big hole in the middle of it and you just threw your shells and trash into a big waste can under the table. It was convenient if not completely sanitary. :-)Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Ft. Lauderdale, FL

    December 18, 2014 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    For those of you who know us, you will remember we set out just about 19 years ago to go around the world on our 38 foot sailboat Phantasie. We left from San Francisco and headed south to Mexico. When we arrived at Bahia de Navidad (the usual hopping off spot for those crossing the Pacific) we realized that we were going much too slow to go around the world in the two years that we had allowed. We knew that we couldn't speed up without ruining the great experience we were having so far. We decided to put it off until we went cruising again.
    Well, times have changed. The Indian Ocean is not really safe for cruisers and we really want to spend time in the Med but the nagging wonder of what was out there and what we would have seen persists.
    A little over a year ago we found a cruise line and a particular itinerary that really interested us. We also convinced (with very little prodding) some great friends to go with us. So began the odyssey we just labeled "The World Cruise".
    From Woodstock, VA we set out to go around the world without flying. Our journey begins on water here in Ft. Lauderdale.
    Today we will board the Silver Whisper and travel for 4.5 months until we arrive back at Ft. Lauderdale. We will see some 50+ countries and make around 120 ports. We, and our traveling companions Jeff and Ali Carithers, will bring you the highlights here.
    To start here is a shot of South Beach, Miami. Beautiful weather, scenery and art deco buildings made a great pre-cruise vacation even better.
    See you along the way.

    Jim    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Lago Mar, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

    December 19, 2014 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We stayed in Lago Mar on the beach in Fort Lauderdale with our good friends Jane and Mike Beasley. They came to see us off. We waved at them from the ship. They were sitting on the rocks waving their iPhones on flashlight so we could see them. They swore they had no liquor with them but we were doubtful. There was certainly liqour involved onboard as we toasted the trip with the signature drink of the cruise line the "Silver Spirit". It is basically all booze except for the squeeze of lime they use at the end. We call that "the mixer".
    We had a great first dinner after unpacking and figuring out where to stow all the luggage (under the bed). More drinks and a show and we are feeling very "at home" on board.
    Mike and Jane also helped shuttle the MaxMobile to the Kozy Kamper motorhome park for winter storage. It is a nice place and other then maybe having a low battery when we get back it should be fine.
    It was really great to have such a send off. Thank you Jane and Mike.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Key West, Florida

    December 20, 2014 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Not much to say about one of our favorite spots. We had a morning bike ride around town as the town was waking up and did some last minute shopping for things like a power strip to hold all the dang chargers and gadgets we have. The one plug in just isn't going to do it.
    After lunch we were off again for two days at sea.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    At Sea, Caribbean

    December 23, 2014, Caribbean Sea ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We had rough weather after we passed out of Haiti's wind shadow. Seas 10-12 and winds almost 40 at times. Jeff and Nancy are a little queasy and I am really tired from all the motion. But lounging around and reading seemed to be a perfectly reasonable activity anyway so I guess no harm done this time. Hopefully we get less seas when we get closer to Columbia. We couldn't stand up long enough to do the Rumba lessons so I think they will have to wait. :-)Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Santa Marta, Columbia

    December 23, 2014 in Colombia ⋅ 🌬 39 °C

    It took us two days at sea (a very rough sea at that) to get to this little town that is trying hard to become a tourist attraction. Unfortunately it doesn't quite make it. It has a pleasant downtown and waterfront and not much else. I suspect that the 94 degree heat didn't make it any more attractive.
    The best thing about being here was being still. I did still sway down the dock a little though but we weren't sure if it was me or if it was just some serious "continental drift" :-)
    Off the Cartagena tonight. Seas should be a little better around the point.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Cartagena, Columbia

    December 24, 2014 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Cartagena Old Town was about 2 miles from the cruise termiinal. We took a good walk along the waterfront. We revisited our old anchorage off of Club Nautica and got run off the docks at Club de Pesca for trying to sneak into the "banos" without owning one of the rather large expensive motor yachts on display there. The Old Town was worth it though as the little streets were coming alive as we got there right about the time everything was starting to open up. After a little confusion in the coffee shop where we hadn't ordered enough to use a credit card and had no pesos we finally ate enough that they let us pay with the "tarjeto de credito" and left with several waters more then we really needed but the heat was serious and we were sweating pretty good on arrival back at the ship.
    The town was interesting in that the tourist area was fairly quite but just a few blocks away the local people were swarming a neat little area of town doing all their last minute Christmas shopping. I say last minute but I suspect Christmas doesn't start in October down here so this may have just been a good day to shop.
    Everywhere we passed they were having a Christmas party (the dock workers, the police station, etc) We only stayed until 1PM but I suspect that things closed down pretty early so that people could get ready for the night time festivities that, if the amount of decorations on everything was a sign, looked to be quite a party.
    We sailed early to meet our schedule at the Panama Canal on Christmas Day. We are transiting early in the morning so Santa will have to find us at sea.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Panama Canal, Panama

    December 25, 2014 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Christmas in Panama. We awoke to see the jungle going by as we slipped into the first lock of the Gatun Locks on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal. We were locked up beside a huge chemical tanker and had a local guide narrating the trip from the bridge. We took our morning walk around the deck while we rose 85 feet to the level of the Gatun Lake. The canal is 100 years old the year and it is amazing in it's efficiency and simplicity.
    We anchored in the Lake for several hours while we waited to travel to the other side. We took advantage of that to open Christmas presents and rest up for the Christmas feast that awaited us at brunch.
    Full from lunch and having opened all our presents we set sail across the peninsula toward the Pacific Ocean. Down the locks at Pedro Miguel and Miraflores and now in the Pacific. We have a day to travel to Puntarenas tomorrow in Costa Rica. Should be fun.
    For now we have formal night and Christmas dinner so I will leave you here and pick up after I recover.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt
    1

    At Sea

    December 26, 2014, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Much calmer seas on this side of Central America. We are coasting along in 3-4 foot seas which probably would be a pain on Kalliope but up here on the 5th floor it kind of rocks you to sleep. Christmas was a success. Jeff was a hit in his family tartan kilts. Ali and Nancy were quite beautiful but as Ali says "she could walk into the room stark naked and everyone would still be looking at Jeff's kilts". Great dinner. We need a little detox today to recover.
    We took a lesson on using the sextant today and Nancy and I both got a position from a single sun sight that was somewhere in the area that we could see from the boat so that was at least comforting to know. Tonight was also our dancing "debut". We had been taking dance lessons and had a great time doing some fun swing, foxtrot and rumba dancing in the Panarama lounge. Our tango needs some work and we need to learn to recover better when the boat lurches but it made for some good exercise and a lot of fun.
    Tonight we get an extra hour of sleep. There is an advantage to going west. The days keep getting longer as you roll the clock back. Well it is off to Costa Rica in the morning and a tour of the rain forest.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Puntarenas, Costa Rica

    December 27, 2014 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    We are docked in Puntarenas just across the bay from where we stayed on our boat coming down the coast 20 years ago. We had our bottom painted here in the little town and it has grown considerably since we were here. We remember this area well. We had a great time over off some little islands with many of our friends. We took the bus to San Jose from here so we remember the poor road quality most of all.
    Today the roads are great and we are off to the rain forest to the south of town to zipline above the canopy. Nancy was a little nervous at first but by the second line she was swinging through the tree tops with the best of them. She is even doing "no-hand" tricks on the "photo" platform. It was beautiful up in the treetops and a lot of fun to do.
    Tomorrow a day at sea to relax from this "grueling pace"    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    At Sea

    December 28, 2014, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Who-hoo, today is Festivus. You remember "Festivus, for the restofus". We celebrated the made up Seinfield holiday with salsa dancing lessons and drinks on our balcony with Jeff and Ali. Room service is nice in that you can order a little "potluck" without fixing a thing. Of course the "Airing of the Grievances" and "Feats of strength" highlighted the evening before retiring to the dining room. We seem to have made friends with the cruise director Moss Hills (who does Jeff not make friends with?). We told him all about the Festivus holiday and I am sure that next year the cruise line will be celebrating it with a feast or somethingRead more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Puerto Quetzal, Gautamala

    December 29, 2014 in Guatemala ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    We are in the little port of Puerto Quetzal. It is a newly made port for commercial shipping and mining, it appears. There is a small sportfisher marina that had no sailboats in it at all so it is either shallow or there is not much to draw cruisers on their own boats to the area. There are no real towns around. The ship offers a tour of Antigua and several flights to the ruins inland around Tical. We didn't book those early enough and just decided to hang out and enjoy the leisure that we thought we would have in abundance but really haven't had as much chance to enjoy.Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Puerto Chiapas, Mexico

    December 30, 2014, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    A cool little port that used to be called Puerto Medero when we were cruising it and not very cruiser friendly if I recall. Now they have a nice cruise port and marina. You can get a shuttle to town (Tapachula, about 30 minutes away) and we walked the downtown. Of course like any town in Mexico there is a shoe store on every corner so the Zapataria was the first stop as Ali needed another pair or tennis shoes and I needed some sandels. Great time shopping as the dollar is strong in Mexico and things are cheap. Finding the right size between Mexican sizes, European sizes and the few American sized shoes was fun but we managed.
    The archeology museum was closed (I hope for the holidays) but interestingly there was a huge tent set up on the town square with an ice skating rink in it and there were a lot of Mexican youth that were pretty good ice skaters. For having no natural ice anywhere we thought that was impressive.
    We ate a local restaurant that our guide says she eats at and we could see why. Great mole and the fresh tortillas we remember as the staple of the diet down here. We broke down and had to try this great looking drink that was made by letting the water sit on the rice overnight and then adding sugar and spices and chilling it until you get a milk like drink that was very good. Of course the "Mexican water" sitting on the rice was a little risk. We will see how that plays out for the next couple days of the cruise. Fortunately there are lots of bathrooms on the boat.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    At Sea

    December 31, 2014, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    New Years eve could not have been a better party. The weather was great so the pool deck filled with what seemed like all the passengers and most of the crew. We danced until 1:30 or so and then had a quiet "wind down" on the balcony because you know "nothing says the holidays like Lemoncello" turned in about 2AM with the promise to actually stay up till midnight next New Years eve as well. We are usually in bed by midnight and didn't realize that there was "fun to be had" We will probably have to walk a few miles to make up for all the champagne.Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    At Sea

    January 1, 2015, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    We recovered and made our two mile walk and poolside breakfast before they took the fruit away at 9:30. We thought that was doing pretty good after last nights big affair. All the crew were in good moods as many off them got to party as much as the passengers. Of course there was more great food for lunch as they fixed a big buffet so we had to try all these things that we might not have tried yet. More walking later this evening it appears. :-)
    At sea was always where we thought we would have plenty of time to read, work on the computer, do some little projects we brought with us. Jeff and I both thought that we could surely find time to do a little art. Turns out the days aren't as empty as we thought.
    We try to exercise several hours a day to keep the weight of the great food and abundant drink off our body or we will be buying new wardrobes by Australia. The ship also offers enrichment lectures that so far have been very enjoyable about topics we would probably never thought we were interested in. Then we have finally been getting the schedule of the dance band and ours together so we dance for a little exercise prior to getting ready for dinner. Usually a show at 10 after diner and more dancing or just visiting afterward until Nancy reminds us that her bedtime was several hours ago and we retire.
    The shipboard personnel all know us. We think it is because they have to know all the World Cruise guests but it also could be that we are always laughing so it is easy to spot us coming. We have not met as many others on the cruise as we would like but, like we remembered, the ship is bigger then you think and there are lots of little hiding places so we don't often bump into people like we thought we would. We have also been eating together which is usually the prime meeting time. I suspect that after the holidays we will make a concerted effort to get to know some of the 30 or so folks that will be continuing on with us in LA. There will be 145 of us going the entire way and many doing several legs. Some of the crew are staying and they are very happy to be doing it so it must be fun for them as well as us.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur

    January 2, 2015 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We arrived at Cabo around noon today. It rained and blew pretty good getting up here across the Sea of Cortez. We tendered into the marina. Hardly any signs of the recent hurricane but there is some construction that looks like it might be "re"construction.
    The bay is so much different then when we were here 20 years ago. The town was not really recognizable to us. The marina is much bigger and there are actually paved roads in places where they were dirt. We had a fun little afternoon activity making 7 different types of salsa and 3 types of margaritas. We have been trying to reproduce the margaritas on board but haven't been able to yet. We are still experimenting with different tequilas though and by the end of the trip we are certain we can "solve" this puzzle. Here are Ali and Jeff in full cooking mode.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Los Angeles, California

    January 5, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    This is the end of the road for most of the people on the boat. We have avoided all the farewell parties, etc. They were just depressing. :-)
    Jeff is having a "big" birthday celebration tomorrow so his (and since meeting them, our) good friends Trish and Don stayed in LA on their way home from New Zealand and took him out to celebrate. He will outline the day on his travel blog but suffice it to say it was very special. I don't think I have ever eaten a better soft pretzel then the one we had at Nelson's on the coast north of town.
    Leaving was a much less raucous affair then at Fort Lauderdale. The World Cruisers were a little tired from their travels to get here and the party that most of them had last night. We were pretty excited to be facing 8 days out at sea and going out of the massive harbor in LA was pretty special but it was not like leaving the dock the first night.
    The ship lost 50 crew members here and some 300 passengers. We have about 240 passengers on board for this leg and almost 300 crew so nothing is crowded except the walking track. :-) Next stop Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    At sea

    January 9, 2015, North Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We are at sea. The waves are picking up a little today but we have had flat water for the last three days so it is not too unexpected. Otherwise beautiful weather. Nancy is learning photography and we are enjoying the wine lectures (tastings) a little too much. :-) We are meeting quite a few interesting people. We may have solved the tequila search. We will have to test a few more samples before we come to consensus but someone needs to do the research. I will report back.
    Not much wildlife out here. A few birds but we haven't seen whales since off of California. We also haven't seen another boat either. Seems this is not a popular shipping route.
    Just getting into the routine of life at sea. You would think it might be boring but the opposite is actually true. We are looking forward to getting to land so we can slow down a bit. :-)    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia

    January 13, 2015 in French Polynesia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Land ho! We finally sighted land this morning while walking on the deck at sunrise. The lovely island of Nuku Hiva came into view rising out of the sea. We anchored in one of the two great bays off the town of Taoihea. It was a quaint little town that had maybe 30 sailboats in the bay and a little grocery store and a couple little restaurants. Not much else but great to get off the boat and walk around the town. The locals would surf their canoes behind the ships tender for fun. We didn't feel too wobbly after 8 days at sea. The beaches were black sand (lava) so didn't look as inviting as the white sand beaches we are coming to on the next few islands.Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Rangiroa, French Polynesia

    January 16, 2015, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Today we are in Rangiroa. A beautiful atoll in the Tautamous Island chain. The atoll is so big you can't see the other side from sea level. There are a couple passes into the central lagoon. They are fairly short but the current moves through there at up to 6 knots or so. During the afternoon while the current was flowing out of the lagoon and the waves from the ocean were meeting them there were probably 4-5 foot standing waves across the entire center of the pass. The dolphins were just jumping and playing in the waves like a bunch of kids. Fortunately the current slowed before we left but we still flew out of there like crazy. I would have been pretty nervous about bringing our little boat through all that rough water and the seas were pretty calm today.
    The snorkeling was nice along the inner beach with lots of little coral heads full of fish and stingrays traveling all over the area.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Moorea, French Polynesia

    January 16, 2015 in French Polynesia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    This has to be the most beautiful island I have ever seen. It is the definition of a South Pacific Island. Maybe Bora Bora will be better but it will take some effort. We pulled in through a very small opening in the reef and settled into a bay with steep sheer green cliffs rising straight up. The land was so lush. We taxied over to a little hotel beach on the Tahiti side of the island and everyone agreed it was some of the best snorkeling anywhere. We had great weather all morning and then the rains came hard and socked the whole side of the island in. Not a big deal though as it is hot and the rain feels kind of good and it dries almost as soon as you step inside so it didn't do much to our mood since we were through snorkeling and needed to find a place to eat anyway. We ate the hotel and it wasn't near as expensive as some people make it out to be. It could have been that our expectations were so high that reality was better then our imaginations. We came back home are napping watching it rain. You can't even see those beautiful mountains that were so pretty when we came in.
    Tonight we are going over the Papeete, Tahiti. Just 11 miles or so away. It will be our first overnight port and we are looking forward to see what a Friday night on the town will be like.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt
    1

    Papeete, Tahiti

    January 17, 2015 in French Polynesia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    We finally got the rain that was due us for coming in the rainy season. Still Tahiti was a beautiful island and even the rain couldn't dampen the experience. We went to the local market in the morning and had a great time. The rain let up and we walked the town in the afternoon. They have a great waterfront walking park. The town was closing down on saturday afternoon but some shops were still open and you we got a great baguette for 53 cents so how can you pass that up. We didn't think bread got better then the fresh baked stuff we have on the ship but this was definitely better. Nancy found some black pearl earrings she needed so that made the trek even more productive. As you can see the girls are getting right into the spirit of Polynesia.
    We had a great dinner and left Tahiti bound for Bora Bora.    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt

    Bora Bora

    January 18, 2015 in French Polynesia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    The seas were rough last night with the rain storm coming through and we were weaving all over the halls. I swear it was not the Silver Spirit's we were drinking. :-)
    The morning found us coming into the bay in Bora Bora in bright sunlight. We were still rocking and not many people were out on the walking track as usual so I suspect some had a rough night. We were up bright and early though and glad we didn't miss the beautiful entrance. The picture is not great due to the sun but it was very dramatic.
    We rented bikes and rode down to the southern tip of the island to a great public beach. We couldn't bring ourselves from leaving the comfort of the little tiki bar and getting in the water though because it was so peaceful and pleasant just looking out at the wonderful blue lagoon and the beautiful surrounding islands (the motus). There were those great hotels with the little huts out over the water dotted all around the island that were incredibly expensive but the island itself has really remained fairly rustic and we could see why it is a favorite of the hollywood stars. They can probably get away civilization and still have some pretty pleasant places to go and things to do.
    It surpassed Moorea as our favorite island so far    Read more

  • Jim and Nancy KleinschmidtWorld CruiseJim and Nancy Kleinschmidt
    1
    1

    At Sea

    January 21, 2015, South Pacific Ocean ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We lose a day tonight as we cross the international dateline. We have been moving steadily west which means we "fall back" an hour every few days. This makes the days keep getting longer as we find ourselves getting up very early as we change but the night stuff still starts late so I guess it is a great way to acclimatize. We are now about 6 hours behind home. No jet lag for us on this trip. :-)
    The good part of losing a day is that we really wanted to have a day where we didn't eat too much or drink too much. We now know what day that is going to be, January 21. I am hoping we will be able to have at least one more before we get home. :-)
    As you can see from one of the photos we eat pretty good here. This is from what was called a Lunch and Learn. The chef prepared lunch for about 20 people right there in front of us and explained what he was doing and everything while he made the three courses that passes for a "light" lunch on this ship. The photo is of a smoked salmon appetizer that we are definitely making when we get home. I am not suspecting it will look like this on the plate though.
    We also had a really cool show from some performers from Nuku Hiva. They are a group that is trying to keep the native dances, language and songs alive and they came on board in the evening and put on a great show. Not as gentle as Hawaii and Tahiti hulas but more like a cross between the New Zealand war dances and the traditional hula dance.    Read more

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