Although HAL blogger Gary Frink is home from his Oosterdam cruise, he still had a few wonderful posts to share. Enjoy!

Suva, Fiji provides exotica in multiple layers: a history of cannibalism through the early 20th Century — “A cannibal fork is the one thing I’ll buy here,” Jeanne announced; military coups; beggars and shoe shine boys in the streets; ethnic Melanesian/Polynesian men wearing Sulus (including police and military,) wrap-around, skirt-like garments bound at the waist (East Indian, roughly half of the population, men wear trousers;) very colorful, attractive postal stamps and currency notes and finally the clock tower, Big Ben of Fiji which, when functioning, strikes on the quarter hour (alas, it was apparently ailing and certainly soundless during our pass-through the campus of government buildings, where it resides.)

The day began with a stroll along the dock, past the police department orchestra, there to serenade us, near the bow of the ship. From the dock, we exchanged “BULAS” (the Fijian shout of welcome) with any and all, as we strolled to our first stop toward realizing our goal of leaving a sprinkling of Yankee Dollars in the City of Suva.

“Go into my shop, have a look around,” said an East Indian merchant, as Jeanne and I entered a long shed, divided into narrow, shallow, shop units. The salesman was leaning against the outside wall facing the one aisle extending through the shed; by loitering outside his limited space, he attempted to chat-up into his space, the foreigners passing down the aisle.

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During its South Pacific Crossing, the crew of the ms Oosterdam were treated to a tour of Te Puia in Rotorua, New Zealand, where traditional dances were performed for the group.

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Topics: Australia/New Zealand, ms Oosterdam, Shore Excursions, South Pacific, Staff & Crew | | 2 Comments

During its 24-day South Pacific Crossing voyage, the ms Oosterdam experienced April 21 twice, as it passed the international date line through the islands of Western and American Samoa.

For the first April 21, 2013, the Oosterdam invited a local Christian youth group on board during its call at Apia, Western Samoa. Hosted by our Event Manager Aaron Whipple, the youth group enjoyed a tour of the ship as well as lunch on the lido’s pool deck.

From left: Oosterdam Second Executive Chef Norbert Sommerhalter and the ship’s Lido Assistant Steward Indaharini Nenobais serve children food on board.

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HAL blogger Gary Frink currently is sailing on board Oosterdam and will be sending in posts from his voyage.

I had one duty to perform on my second April 21, and first day ever in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

Jeanne and I live within a mortar drop of the Shenandoah National Park Headquarters, located east of the Town of Luray, Virginia. Further, Jeanne is the Commonwealth of Virginia Commissioner on the Cedar Creek And Belle Grove National Historic Park Federal Advisory Commission. The two national parks were recently combined and the National Park Service sent in a new superintendent … Hang with me! I promise you this is going to make sense.

Jim Northup is the new Super of the Shenandoah and Cedar Creek/Belle Grove parks. I accompanied Jeanne to a recent meeting of the aforementioned federal advisory commission. In the course of general bonhomie and chit-chat after the meeting, I described our South Pacific voyage to Northup. “Do you know that American Somoa has a national park?” asked Northup. I didn’t reply with: “How the hell would I know that?” I probably babbled something more innocuous and a little smoother, like: “Why no, Jim, but how interesting — way out there.” “Well, if you should get to the Park, would you give my greetings to the superintendent?” I assured him I would do just that.

When Jeanne and I disembarked the Oosterdam and exited the dock on the morning of our Second Samoan Sunday, we first passed a gargantuan, white-shirted (with neatly-knotted tie and wearing a lava lava) Samoan sitting imperiously on a seemingly-too-small plastic chair. He was still there, in the same chair, when we returned. “What do you do here?” I asked. “I’m chief of port security,” he replied. No further questions.

Ten feet behind the chief of security was a National Park Service welcome table, containing brochures pumping the park and a general map of Tutuila Island, on which Pago Pago sits. Behind the table was an alert, uniformed (complete with a lava lava instead of trousers) young man. “Young man,” I began. “I have come to Pago Pago on a mission.” “Yes, sir. How may I help?” He carefully wrote down the information on Jim Northup, after learning of my mission, and promised to deliver it Monday to the superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa.

Nameless young park ranger/hotshot-forest-fire-fighter.

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Topics: Cruise Diary, Grand Voyages, ms Oosterdam, South Pacific | | 1 Comment

HAL blogger Gary Frink currently is sailing on board Oosterdam and will be sending in posts from his voyage.

Dravuni island beach.

“I’m on this island for one reason and one reason only: to walk the beach,” Jeanne certainly informed me. With sandals in hand, she walked down to the wave-hardened sand and was off, stage right, on her shell and coral quest. I was left, ankle deep, in the beige sand, taking photos of this new and rare environment.

We had exited the Oosterdam tender and were on a tiny volcanic spec — that is if you consider a 0.8 square kilometer island to fit the description. Dravuni Island, is a member of the Kadayu Group of Fijian islands; it is the most northern human haven within the Great Astrolabe Reef.

It was as if Holland America set out to give passengers a Fijian hot and cold, black and white, sweet and sour experience, transporting us from Suva to Dravuni Island. Fewer than 200 persons live on the diminutive volcanic islet.

Jeanne returned from her beach-comb carrying six prized shell and coral jewels, after round-tripping it to the farthest island point visible from the tender landing. We spread our beach towels, stripped to our bathing suits and plunged into the surprisingly chilly, uber-salty Pacific. We paddled about for 10 or 15 minutes. When back atop the thick, navy beach towels, I said to Jeanne: “Now, I believe it is time for us to buy something; we have to leave some Yankee Dollars here.” “I haven’t seen anything that grabs me,” she replied.

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On March 2nd, Amsterdam called at the beautiful port of Benoa in Bali, Indonesia during its Grand World Voyage. Here are some photos of our arrival taken from the Seabourn Quest.

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Our Facebook fans sent us photos of their on-board celebrations. We received some great images! Thanks for sharing your special moments with us.

Jim and I celebrated our joint retirement on board the ms Statendam in November/December 2012 by cruising through the Panama Canal and then off to the Hawaiian and French Polynesian Islands. A fabulous cruise we will never forget. Looking forward to our future cruises on Holland America, the only way to cruise. — Mary Griffin

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Topics: Art, Activities & Entertainment, ms Rotterdam, ms Statendam, Panama Canal, South Pacific | | 2 Comments

Journalist Ruth Taber was on board Oosterdam and sent in blog posts during her cruise. Enjoy!

Friday – February 1, 2013 – onboard the Oosterdam – tendered off Mystery Island, Vanuatu.

Yesterday’s excursion to Ekasup Cultural Village (near Port Vila) was superb. 500 villagers here continuing a traditional lifestyle going back hundreds of years. Their tribal chief represents the law, weddings are arranged and wealth is signified by the number of pigs owned. Our guide (his name is Sifo – and if anyone had trouble spelling he suggested we remember him as C4) took us through village customs, cooking, hunting, fishing (women’s work!), medicine from local plants and leaves. And more! A ginger leaf pit served as a storage place for their dried bananas; grated with a shell, the banana juice was drained and the pulp dried – and stored up to a year or more in the ginger leaf pit.

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