The Golden Odyssey World Cruise

This year 2008, was the 50th anniversary of around the world tours for Holland America.

Our journey was in a beautiful ship designed to navigate the 7 seas. The food was delicious and plentiful, see some of the pictures. The crew prepared 6,000 meals a day for 114 days. They told us we broke some records by consuming 65,000 pounds of beef, 115,000 pounds of seafood, 300,000 eggs, 45,000 pounds of potatoes and 3,000 gallon of the home made ice cream.

The accommodations were spotless and brimming with exquisite art, antiques and fresh fragrant flowers. We have posted some pictures previously of the elaborate floral arrangements fresh from Holland. Fresh flowers were always at our dining table, in the library, everywhere even in our cabin.

The well trained smiling crew were ready to cater to our every need 24 hours a day Over 650 crew members went to work every day to help create “golden moments” for us.

We enjoyed the generous hospitality of our fellow citizens of the world, greeting us in their native language. We enjoyed meeting and making new friends and the warm lasting memories of this unique experience is one that can never be duplicated. We are also proud of the fact that we were part of the contributions made to the Susan G.. Komen Foundation to reach the “Golden Goal” of $50,000 for the cure of breast cancer.

We had 72 different guest entertainers during the voyage starting with Regis Philbin and his wife. We had two casts of Holland America dancers and singers who wore the most fabulous costumes which Las Vegas does not duplicate. We had 18 different guest speakers who lectured on numerous topics. We collected numerous recipes from the cooking schools and demonstrations. First rate movies were shown in the WaJang Theater three times a day.

We attended almost all of the bridge lectures and played some bridge with new friends. Other classes on board were Tai Chi, Art and Crafts, Painting, and Dance. There were also facilities for paddle ball, tennis, volley ball and basketball. We were regulars at the exercise facility to use the machines and also take aerobic classes. There was also a large library and plenty of room to get comfortable and read. The library is where we often spent time using the internet.

On one of the last days, we attended a coffee chat to talk about the memorable time throughout the voyage. Some of the favorite entertainers were discussed. Dick Hardway and Karme (from old Vegas) were favorites. Also Black Tie musical group, Ken and Casey (ventriloquist), a gymnast who was an Olympic medal winner, the show that featured the children of Samoa, Regis Philbin and the Osmond brothers.

One of the highlights is the scene from the ship as we sailed into Sydney under the bridge giving us a view of the Opera House. The sail away from Hong Kong at night was a beautiful sight. It was a special experience when families of crew members met their relatives, not seen for months in Bali and Manilla. Many of the passengers appreciated the Easter Sunrise service on the Red Sea. Going through the Suez Canal was a new experience for most of us as was experiencing the Pyramids and the Sphinx. We could go on and on, Istanbul, Venice, Santorini, Malta and Gibraltar were among our favorites. We have enjoyed this Grand Voyage, but we are also looking forward to returning to our home in Andover.